And Just Like That

Twenty- Three

The laptop fan whirred softly on the kitchen table, the faint blue glow of the Skype screen reflecting against the tiled backsplash. It was a Saturday evening, just after eight, and the whole house smelled faintly of Edel's shepherd's pie cooling on the counter.

Éabha was perched on the edge of a chair, her hair tied up messily, a cup of tea cradled in both hands as the little dial tone trilled through the speakers. She smiled nervously when Johnny's face finally flickered to life — a little pixelated, the hotel lighting behind him harsh, but still him.

"Hey, baby," he said, grinning as soon as the video loaded properly. His hair was damp, probably fresh out of a shower, and he looked tired but happy. "God, it's good to see your face."

"Hey," Éabha murmured, smiling. "You look wrecked."

"I am wrecked," he laughed, leaning closer to the screen. "Double session today. My legs hate me. But this—" he pointed toward her image on his screen— "this makes up for it."

Éabha rolled her eyes, cheeks warming. "Smooth talker."

"Always," he said, grinning. Then, his tone softened. "So... how's my baby?"

"Still not noticeable, Johnny," she teased automatically, smiling into her mug.

"Let me see," he said immediately, eyes lighting up.

"Johnny," she laughed, half hiding her face. "There's nothing there!"

"Let. Me. See."

"Fine," she said, giggling as she set the mug down and leaned back enough for him to see. She tugged up her hoodie just a little, revealing a slight curve — barely visible to anyone else, but she knew every change by heart now.

Johnny's grin softened, his whole face changing. "There is something there," he said quietly, his voice going all gentle. "God, Éabha... that's our baby."

Her heart melted a little at the way he said it. "Barely," she whispered. "I'm nearly twelve weeks now. It's starting to feel real."

"It is real," he said, still staring like he could memorise every pixel. "You look... I don't even know how to say it. Beautiful."

She blushed, glancing away. "Stop it."

"I'm serious," he said, smiling. "You have that glow, you know? The one everyone talks about."

"That's just the kitchen light," she joked, but her voice cracked a little, and he caught it.

He leaned closer, eyes soft. "What's wrong, Éabha?"

She took a breath, fiddling with the edge of her hoodie. "I just... I don't know. I'm tired of hiding it. Edel keeps asking if I'm okay, and John notices when I don't eat certain things. I feel like I'm lying to them. They've done everything for me, Johnny. I can't keep it from them much longer."

Johnny nodded slowly, lips pressing together. "I've been thinking the same thing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he said. "We tell them. Tonight. While I'm on the call. You shouldn't have to do that alone."

Her stomach fluttered — part nerves, part relief. "Are you sure?"

"Completely," he said, smiling now. "If we're doing this, we're doing it together."

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Okay. I'll go get them."

He laughed lightly. "Wait—like right now?"

"Yes, right now," she said, standing up before she could lose her nerve.

He ran a hand through his hair, straightening his posture like he was about to face a press conference. "Alright then. Let's do it."

⸻

Éabha padded down the hall, her heart hammering. She could hear the faint sound of the news playing in the sitting room — Edel's low hum, John's quiet laugh at something the presenter said.

"Edel?" she called softly, peeking around the door. "John? Can you come here for a sec?"

They both looked up, a touch of concern crossing Edel's face. "Is everything alright, love?"

"Yeah, yeah," Éabha said quickly. "Just—Johnny's on Skype. He wants to talk to you both."

That earned twin smiles. Edel wiped her hands on her cardigan and followed her down the hall, John right behind.

When they came into the kitchen, Johnny's face lit up on the laptop screen. "Hi Mam, hi Da." he said cheerfully.

"Johnny!" Edel said, beaming. "You look well, love. We were just saying earlier, you're due home soon, aren't you?"

"Few more weeks," he said. "Counting the days."

John nodded. "You're making us proud out there, son."

"Thanks," Johnny said with a sheepish grin. Then, his tone shifted slightly. "Actually, um... Éabha and I wanted to talk to you both about something important."

Edel's smile faltered just a little, her eyes flicking to Éabha, who was now sitting back down beside the laptop, hands clasped in her lap. "Alright," she said softly. "What's going on?"

Éabha took a deep breath. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it." She glanced at Johnny's face on the screen — his nod, his small, reassuring smile. "I'm... pregnant."

The room went utterly still.

Edel blinked, her mouth opening slightly. John straightened, eyes flicking between them both.

"I'm nearly twelve weeks," Éabha continued, voice trembling but steady. "We didn't mean for it to happen, but... it did. And we love each other. We're figuring it out. I wanted to tell you both sooner, but..."

"You wanted to protect Johnny," John finished quietly, nodding.

Johnny's voice came through the speakers, calm but full of emotion. "It's true. If she'd told me before I left, I'd have stayed. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere after this tour. I'll be home in time for everything. I promise."

Edel's hand came to her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears — not angry, just overwhelmed. Then she crossed the small kitchen and knelt down beside Éabha's chair, taking her hands.

"Oh, sweetheart," she whispered. "You must've been terrified."

Éabha shook her head, tears finally spilling. "I was. But not anymore."

Edel squeezed her hands tightly. "We'll get through this. You're family, Éabha. Both of you — all three of you."

Johnny's voice cracked through the laptop. "Thank you, Mam."

John exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a lot to take in," he admitted, but his tone was warm. "You're both so young. But you're good kids. You've handled more than most adults ever could." He looked at Éabha, eyes softening. "You'll have us, every step of the way."

That broke her completely. She laughed through the tears, shaking her head. "You have no idea how much that means."

Edel gave her hand another squeeze, then looked at the laptop, smiling at her son. "You take care of yourself over there, Johnny. And come home safe. There's a little heartbeat waiting for you."

Johnny smiled, eyes glassy. "I will, Mam. I promise."