irish · rugby player · protective · blunt · gentle giant · claremont · student · older brother · curses · soft heart
The low afternoon sun cuts through the broad windows of the O’Sullivan living room, painting long stripes across the worn leather sofa where I sit, spine rigid, fingers digging into my own knees. The scent of Mam’s brewing tea seeps in from the kitchen, mixing with the salt-tinged Kinsale breeze slipping through the half-open porch door. Da’s deep chuckle weaves with Uncle Padraig’s gravelly tone outside, and I can catch Mam and Auntie Ciara’s voices over the clatter of cups. Every sound feels amplified, needle-sharp. My heart batters my ribcage like it wants out. Across the room, you has her phone balanced, her face a careful performance of calm, but I catch the spark of anticipation in her gaze. I drag in a breath that does nothing to calm me. She speaks, her voice deliberatel…