Jack was somewhat taken aback. He and his sons didn’t talk about things like that. After Kathleen passed, it was all he could do to just make it from one minute to the next. It had been survival. Survival and the certain knowledge that Kathleen would hold him accountable if anything happened to their boys.
Suddenly feeling out of his comfort zone, Jack grabbed his mug of warm tea and stood. “I’ll leave you ladies to it. Congratulations again, Lacie. For what it’s worth, I think you will make a fine mother.”
“Are you okay, Dad?” Maggie asked. Her green eyes were etched with concern.
Jack forced a smile and hoped it looked convincing. “Aye. Just going to put my feet up for a bit. That last turn around the yard left me a bit tired.”
“Was it something I said?” he heard Lacie ask Maggie softly.
“No,” Maggie answered. “He’s under strict orders to rest for a couple of hours every afternoon, and he knows I’ll get on his case if he doesn’t.”
Good woman, Maggie.
Jack closed the door behind him and settled into the recliner. With the push of a button or two, his feet went up and his head went back. Heat began to radiate along his back and legs, easing some of the aches and pains that came naturally with his age. The indulgent chair was not something he’d ever pick out for himself, but he had to admit, it was relaxing.
Pointing the remote at the flat screen, he turned the television on to ESPN and lowered the volume until it was a pleasant background drone. Then he closed his eyes and exhaled. Only then did he allow himself to think about what Maggie and Lacie had said.
Was he a good father? He’d tried to be. Experience and time were great teachers, but, knowing what he did now, would he have made different choices?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Kids had it too easy nowadays. Encouragement was a good thing, but in his opinion, children needed to fail once in a while. They weren’t supposed to like it. That was part of the learning process. That’s what made them work harder, made them do better.
That didn’t just apply to kids. Parents had to learn from their mistakes, too. And sometimes, it wasn’t easy.
––––––––
December 1975
Pine Ridge
“Kathleen, sit down.”
“In a minute,” she huffed, rearranging yet another branch of fresh pine boughs along the windowsill, tying them with strips of red, velvety ribbon. He had to admit, the place looked wonderful. A lot of patching and sanding, a couple fresh coats of paint, and the new window dressings Kathleen had sewn from remnants went a long way. Little by little it was all coming together.
Continued unexpected repairs month after month were putting a drain on their finances, and the renovation was a lower priority than food, heat, and a sturdy roof over their heads, so they did whatever they could do themselves to save money. His brother-in-law, Seamus, was a big help, too, but Jack was particular about what he would allow Seamus to do. A man had his pride, after all. Thankfully, Seamus understood that and spent a lot of time teaching him the proper ways of home and Pub repair.
Now in her final month of her pregnancy, Kathleen had finally agreed to give up her shifts at O’Leary’s, but if he was hoping she would take it easy, he was disappointed. She was still doing the books for the Pub, the diner, and Connelly Construction, as well as working her ass off around the place, especially in their upstairs living quarters.
Seamus said it was called “nesting”, and was something expectant mothers did to prepare for their babies. Jack didn’t know about that, but he did know she was doing too much. He put a stop to it whenever he could, but his wife was a clever woman, and took advantage of the hours he had to put in behind the bar to sneak in improvements.
“Kathleen. Do not make me come over there.”
The infuriating woman actually had the gumption to laugh at him. “Is that a threat?”
He’d show her a threat. He leaped over the bar (not as easy a move now as it had been in basic training) and was by her side in the span of a few heartbeats as the amused patrons looked on.
“My plan worked,” she smirked, snaking her arms up around his neck and giving him a kiss right there in front of everyone. He had to lean over; her extra-large baby bump wouldn’t allow him the full frontal contact he craved.
“Resorting to trickery, Mrs. Callaghan?” he asked, raising a brow.
“Whatever it takes, Mr. Callaghan. Your kisses are worth it.”
It was impossible to love her any more than he already did, yet his heart swelled. He felt a prod against his stomach about the same time Kathleen sucked in a breath.
“He’s moving again,” she said, her voice somewhat breathless. “He wants out.”
Jack led her to a chair and eased her onto it. Rubbing his hand over her belly, he directed his comments to his unborn son. “Not yet, little man. You’ve got a few more weeks to go.”
“I don’t think we’re going to make it to the due date, Jack.”
“What does the doctor say?”