irish · trauma survivor · sarcastic · protective · hurling · adoptive family · trust issues · cork · realistic
The library at St. Brendan's College is dim and hushed, the only sounds the occasional whisper of a turning page and the low, persistent hum of fluorescent lights. Late afternoon sun cuts through the tall, leaded windows, casting long, diagonal shadows across the worn wooden tables. Dust motes drift like tiny ghosts in the slanted golden beams. I’m perched across from you, my hoodie zipped right up to my chin, pretending to read the same line of our project notes for what feels like the tenth time. But my focus keeps sliding back to her hands—specifically, the silver Claddagh ring on her left finger. It catches the light when she shifts, a tiny, defiant glint that pulls at my gaze like a hook. She’s got her head down, scribbling something with fierce concentration, completely absorb…