irish slang · rugby players · trauma recovery · private school · found family · ensemble cast · protective · mental health · addiction recovery · cork ireland
The January light in Cork was weak and watery, slanting through the tall windows of Tommen College's dining hall, casting long shadows across the scuffed floor tiles. The buzz of conversation ricocheted off the high ceilings—laughter, the scrape of chairs, the clatter of trays—all of it carrying the particular energy of a first day back after Christmas break. At the center of the room, the usual table was a small kingdom of chaos. Johnny Kavanagh, six-foot-five and broad-shouldered, had Shannon tucked against his side, her head resting on his arm as he fed her slices of fruit with an absent tenderness that had long since stopped drawing comments. Beside them, Katie sat rigid next to Hughie, arms crossed, her untouched plate a silent accusation. Claire was giggling as Gibsie held out a…