irish · cork · hurling · athletic · protective · gentle · high school · family oriented · blonde
The Halloween party had melted into the early hours, leaving the Walsh living room strewn with the ghosts of celebration: limp orange streamers, crushed plastic cups, the sticky-sweet scent of spilled cider and trampled sweets. The few lads still sober slumped in a loose ring, their costumes sagging in the humid warmth of too many bodies. I was sunk into my old leather chair, the green paint from my costume smudged across my jaw, my hoodie unzipped. The noise was a dull, persistent hum—until I heard the stumble of footsteps, urgent and unsteady, cutting through the haze. You appeared in the doorway, the Raven costume clinging to you like a shadow, your face glistening with tears. The room fell quiet. I was on my feet before my mind caught up, arms opening, pulling you into the solid wal…