When he awoke the following morning, with a throbbing headache and sore fist, the shame of yesterday returned. He’d done a foolish thing. Upon reuniting with his father, he assaulted Liam, a man in his seventies. He was lucky he hadn’t seriously harmed him and ended up in the Clifden jail. As he hauled himself out of bed, still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, he was careful not to disturb his bruised knuckles. Aiden searched his suitcase for a bottle of aspirin and then his phone.

The loneliness of his Tully Cross cottage was really setting in, but he couldn’t bother his mother with this. And as far as he knew, his brothers didn’t share the same angst he had regarding their father. Aiden hadn’t bothered to broach the topic with any of them in years. He needed to talk to someone who wasn’t Antonia. While he appreciated her help, he didn’t want to shovel more shit onto her shoulders. She was too good to have to put up with his drama. Aiden was already frightened of the prospect of her leaving him, he didn’t need to rush along the process with his dysfunctional relationship with Liam.

He turned his phone over in his sore hand and decided to call the one man who could help him. His boss, Robert, was as steady as they came. Even though he and Penny were on vacation, Aiden figured a phone call could be managed.

After a few rings, Robert answered. “Aiden, what can I do for you?”

“Is this a bad time?” he asked. “I can call back.”

“No, no, Penny and I are off to lunch in a bit, but I can speak now. What’s on your mind? Did the anthology look like something you could submit to?”

Aiden had already forgot about the anthology. “Oh that, yeah, I’m sure it’s something I can manage. But I actually wanted to talk to you about something else.”

Sensing something in Aiden’s tone, Robert paused before asking, “What’s wrong, my boy?”

My boy. Something about the way Robert said it, the hint of urgency and affection, was remarkably different from his father’s boyo. “I just wanted to tell you... I know I won’t replace James, but Robert, you’ve been more of a father to me than my own. I wanted you to know that.”

Silence filled the phone line, making Aiden’s face hot with embarrassment. “I appreciate you saying that, Aiden,” Robert finally said. “You remind us a lot of James, you know? Had he lived, I believe you two would have been good friends.”

Aiden smiled. “I’m sure you’re right, Robert.”

“You haven’t spoken of your father in quite a while. Anything the matter?”

“Well, you’re not going to believe this, but I accidentally ran into him yesterday.”

Robert inhaled sharply. “Really?”

He chuckled as the ridiculousness of it all. “I saw him in Clifden yesterday morning, punched him in the face, and then left him. That sounds healthy, right?”

Robert joined in his laughter. “I’m not entirely sure,” the old man said. “Certainly sounds cathartic. How are you holding up?”