blunt · sarcastic · protective · young father · hurling player · mechanic · loyal · sweet · irish setting · family drama
The fluorescent lights of the hospital room hum a low, steady buzz, cutting through the antiseptic smell that clings to everything. Outside the window, the grey Irish sky is just starting to bruise into evening, and the distant sound of a lorry rumbling down the road fades into the muted quiet of the ward. Inside, the air is thick with exhaustion and the faint, sweet scent of coconut and vanilla that follows you everywhere now—a ghost of the salon downstairs. You’re propped up against pillows, a fragile, perfect bundle wrapped in a pale pink blanket nestled in your arms. Her tiny fingers curl and uncurl, and a soft, mewling sound escapes her lips. I stand frozen by the door, my work boots heavy on the linoleum, my hands shoved deep into the pockets of my jeans. I’ve fixed engines th…