good.
My life was turned completely upside down,
and then put back together in a way that I could
never have imagined.
I like it and I wouldn’t trade it back for anything
in the world.
I go slower now, I enjoy every moment we have
together and I look around with open, curious eyes
like Lily does, to appreciate every detail and every
breath.
“Erin O’Neill,” the lead professor calls out. I
stand up and face the commission, sure of myself,
proud and happy.
~ ~ ~
I can just barely restrain myself from crying tears
of joy when I turn to look at my beautiful family,
who are all here for me.
Patrick’s brothers and sisters have a banner that
says, The smartest one in the family, and I laugh at
their calls of appreciation.
Rain is crying in Liam’s arms and Aaron and
Jay applaud. Nate is sitting next to Patrick, holding
his daughter’s hand and pointing towards me.
Lily is in her baby carrier on her wonderful
father’s mighty shoulders. She’s smiling and
wiggly, even if she can’t understand why, but she
probably feels the love and harmony that reigns in
this family.
And I look at Patrick and he smiles with pride
and his look transmits everything that he feels for
me.
I feel like I’m a part of something fantastic and
much bigger than I am: a beautiful family,
numerous and loud, which will always be there for
me.
And Lily will grow around people who love her
and will accompany her in all the phases of her
life.
Lily will grow with all of her family around her,
and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Patrick
This morning Erin was a bit nervous but as soon as
we got to the university she showed her confidence
as well as her breathtaking beauty. The
commission couldn’t give her anything less than
maximum grades.
Sitting at the bottom of the stairs are my family.
I made them sit in the back to avoid them creating
an embarrassing scene for her. They even brought
a banner and Mom prepared a little party at home
because she says she wants everyone in the
neighborhood to know someone in her family is
graduating. I think that by now she had lost all
hope. I wasn’t offended and neither was anyone
everyone supports her and loves her just like they
really provide for my little Lily, who is here
behaving very well in my baby backpack.
I talk to her often and sing to her too. I want her
to know who I am and that she’s able to recognize
my voice even with one syllable.
The voice of her father has to be something that
is reassuring for her.
The almost not an asshole anymore Nate is
sitting next to me. He’s holding Lily’s hand and
talks to her like an idiot using long words and
spouting fucking formulas. Come on, she’s eight
months old. There will be time for these things
later.
I know what he’s trying to do, he wants to
contrast his approach to her with my not-so-kind
manners, but what the fuck, I can control myself if
I want.
Erin is beautiful. She gets more so every day.
How does she do it?
Sometimes at night, I get up to rock Lily but I
rest her on my shoulder and I sit on the bed and
look at both of my girls sleeping.
And I am overwhelmed by an emotion that is
priceless, that cannot be described or quantified
and could not be substituted by anything else.
I love my women.
~ ~ ~
Erin stands up and turns to us. Everyone applauds
enthusiastically and my siblings let out a few too
many hoots and hollers but she laughs happily and
gives us two thumbs-up.
Her father, who is sitting behind me, leans in
towards me.
“She’s got it, I’m sure of it.”
I nod, as sure as he is. How could they not give
her that fucking doctorate?
Erin has to follow her road, the one she always
dreamed about. She was made for books, to
formulate those incomprehensible things that give
me a headache just thinking about them. But it’s
right for her. I’m made for the pub, for strumming
the guitar with my friends and acting like an idiot.
I don’t even know how to read music, much less
understand complicated things like she’s studying,
but I love her and support her in her decisions.
I’m here to take care of little Lily. And Rain.
And the guys. And her whole family, and mine.
And Nate. Jesus, there are too many of us, aren’t
there?
~ ~ ~
But before everything else, every plan, be it her
doctorate or teaching, there’s something important
I have to get that ring on her finger.
Because I am staying.
And she’s staying too.
We put off the wedding until after graduation
because there was no need to hurry, but now I
can’t wait until she’s my wife and Lily has my
surname.
Yes, Lily will have my surname too. Nate did
not agree to it in the beginning, but we’re a family
and if we get married Erin will have my name and
having Lily with the same name makes everything
easier for all of us. No one is trying to slam this
asshole seeking redemption out of Lily’s life. Not
even me. Lily needs both her parents and will
always have them with her.
“See Mama, honey? See how beautiful she is?
Just think, she’s so damned smart too,” I tell her
like an idiot because I am fucking crazy about her.
“Let’s hope Lily gets everything from her
mother, especially the brains,” interrupts the
asshole who hasn’t been redeemed yet.
“Well, the beauty is surely hers. As far as the
brains are concerned, even if she should take a bit
from her dad, that wouldn’t be too bad,” I reply,
glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.
“I hope she doesn’t take them from him,” he
says looking back at me. “Because her dad tends to
be a vulgar kind of guy, a hell raiser and an
asshole, much more like that than anyone would
like.”
I look at him, wrinkling my forehead, not sure
that I understand.
“Look at your daughter, Nate. The genes don’t
lie.”
Nate looks at Lily and caresses her cheek. Then,
whispers before shaking his head and smiling
sadly, says:
“She was yours all along.”
Playlist
Happiness, The Fray, The Fray
Say When, The Fray, The Fray,
Nice To Meet You, The Reign Of Kindo, Rhythm,
Chrod & Melody
Same
Mistake, James Blunt, All The Lost Souls
You Found Me, The Fray, The Fray
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life), Green Day,
Green Day Bluegrass
Wonderwall, Oasis, What’s The Story (Morning
Glory)
Best Of You, Foo Fighters, Match Of The Day
Biography
A.S. Kelly was born in Italy but lives in Ireland
with her husband, two children and a cat named
Oscar. She’s passionate about English literature, is
a music lover and addicted to coffee. She spends
her days in a small village North of Dublin,
looking for inspiration for her next stories.
Contacts:
info@authoraskelly.com
www.authoraskelly.com
Follow A. S. Kelly:
https://www.facebook.com/ASKellyAuthor/
@ASKelly_Books
Sweet Days
Document Outline
Cover
Title
Copyright
The Book
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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Playlist
Biography