“Ye are my baby…” Sr admitted, looking at Mary Catherine, tears threatening to spill over. “I’m supposed to look after ye until someone takes that job away from me. That was my job with all ye girls.”
“Oh da, you have always done that. Between ye and the bastids standing behind me, plus the ones not in this room, ye all made sure I graduated a virgin…”
All the men in the room, plus Brolin groaned at the announcement. “And that’s the way ye will die…” Tommy growled, glaring at his sister.
“Bite me, ye arse. Not like ye are one with all the bar flies ye tap. I’m surprised mum or da haven’t announced ye willie has fallen off ye bum yet.”
“Hey!” Willie exclaimed at the mention of the penis being called a willie.
“Welcome home big brothers…welcome home!” Jack announced, laughing at the jokes flying around.
FIVE
Two days later, after long good-byes, several tears shed between Pratt and Raso, Highlander and Marcus managed to whisk their wives away to the train depot for their train trip down to Edinburgh. The trip was a little over eight hours on the train. The two couples chatted about friends they knew, work, and life. There was lots of laughter, small disagreements which ended in laughter and promise of discipline later which had both women wearing a cheesy grin.
The week they spent away from the children was refreshing, yet hard for the couple. They broke down twice, calling home to check on them, getting yelled at and hung up on by both grandparents.
They realized this was the honeymoon neither couple had, ever, and relished every moment of it. Highlander and Marcus took their wives around town, showing them the sites, even managing to have dinner with their sister Liz, who lived in the town. Laughter was had between the women, at the expense of the two men, who despite secrets from their childhood being bared, wore cheesy grins at how well their wives got along with their older sister and her husband, who was a police officer.
The day before they were set to leave, Pratt remembered something that was said before they had boarded the plane to London last week. “You two said something about a huge surprise for your parents, but never said what it was.”
Having just taken a swig of his beer, Highlander nodded along with Marcus. “Aye, we did. This is actually the first year we’ve managed to get all the siblings on board. All eighteen of us will be home for Christmas this year. Mike, Bryson, and Kaitielyne are in London as we speak. They will be flying into Inverness the day after tomorrow and then arriving at supper time on Christmas Eve to officially surprise the parents. The rest of the clan are arriving Christmas morning from their various locations.”
“Oh wow! Everyone is coming home as a surprise to your parents? When was the last time all of you were home together?” Raso asked in awe.
Highlander and Marcus looked at each other in question. “Before Mike left for the US?”
“Aye, that was the last time we were all home at once. Jacob made SAS selection at the same time.” Marcus agreed, smiling into his beer.
“Jacob really coming this time?” Highlander asked his brother, worry in his voice.
“What’s wrong with Jacob?” Pratt asked, her hand in Highlander’s, confusion in her voice.
“Jacob hasn’t been the same since his last mission a couple years ago. It was pretty bad from what we know. Lost several of his team members. Only three of the team came home. One badly hurt, having to be medically discharged. He later committed suicide because the demons became too bad in his head. Jacob and Robert are the only two remaining ones. Robert is in the Highlands from what Tommy has said. No one knows for sure where. One of the islands that very few people live on, mainly fishermen. Jacob is no better. He lives on about a hundred acres of land in the remote hills of the Highlands. Comes to see mum and da once a month. He exchanges and email now and then with one of us, but it’s maybe once a month one of us hears from him.” Highlander answered his wife, squeezing her hands.
“I can’t imagine the things you guys have seen on your missions.” Raso quietly said, leaning into Marcus.
“Aye.” Highlander and Marcus agreed, looking into their beers, worry for their older brother evident in their older brother.
“So, what does Bryson’s twin do?” Pratt asked, breaking the quietness, trying to cheer everyone up.
“Ah, that one is a menace, she is.” Marcus laughed, shaking his head.
“Only to ye, because you terrorized that poor girl every chance ye got growing up.” Highlander fired back, laughing along with Marcus. “She’s a nurse in London.”
“Wait, why didn’t we meet her if she was in London?” Raso asked, looking at the two men suspiciously.
“Because the brat doesn’t know how to keep mum in front of the wee ones and would have blabbed the surprise in front of the kids.” Marcus responded matter of factly.
“Aye, that one doesn’t know the meaning of the word.” Highlander agreed with Marcus.
“What word is that dear husband of mine?” Pratt asked her husband cheekily.
“How to be quiet on secrets, especially with children around.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t she have already told your parents about the surprise?” Raso questioned in confusion.
“Not this time, lass. This time Liz threatened to tell mum and da about her secret boyfriend, which da doesn’t like.”
