His Saint || Murphy Macmanus

ᴠɪɪ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ

As the others ate, Ariana couldn't help but feel - happy. Complete perhaps. This scene before her felt right. Until of course, Murphy finally begrudgingly shuffled his way into the kitchen. His hair a mess on top of his head and his eyes worn from the lack of sleep. He barely remembered what happened last night and why he is here in the first place until he sat down beside Connor. His tired gaze landing on Grace who held a mouth full of bacon. Cheeks packed and lips poking out.

Suddenly, the man recalled the events and couldn't help but to snap his awkward gaze towards his daughter.

So they meet again, but this time, their convention is not brief. Grace is wide awake and more alert.

"Uh," Irene began, giving the others a look of confliction.

"Gracie. Baby," Ariana placed her fork onto her plate. With a soft smile and hand on the small child's back, she flicks her iris onto a dumbfounded Murphy MacManus. "This is Murphy, Connor's twin brother."

Grace tilts her head at Murphy, brows knit due to confusion. "You don't look like Mr. Connor. How can you be twins? I thought twins look the same."

Murphy gave Connor a quick look, gripping his mug of black coffee as if his life depends on it. He then found the right angle to sit in this uncomfortable dining room chair. They are cheap and noticeably inexpensive once your bottom half settled onto the foam part.

"We ain't identical. Not all twins are the same," Connor finally speaks, smiling down at his niece. "That means, me and Mr. Murphy here don't share the same - face. I think it is a good ting, ya can tell us apart."

Grace nodded her head with agreement. Surely if Connor and Murphy shared the exact features, she'd be confused. The last thing little Grace wanted was to be confused so early in the morning.

"Do you talk funny like Connor?" Grace held her training cup in hand. Those dark blue eyes digging deep into Murphy who barely moved his gaze.

The question comical deep down but the anxiety and guilt are too much to bare.

"Aye," Murphy answered lowly.

Grace, unaware of his mood, smiles at the very idea of having two other grown-ups with silly accents in the house. She already made up her mind that Connor and Murphy will become her best of friends.

Irene took a glimpse at the clock mounted on the kitchen wall just above the small single window. She gasps out of surprise, pushing herself up from the table. Her breakfast only half-eaten.

"I need to pick up Lizzie from her dad's. Best get going," Irene says.

Lizzie, Irene's preteen daughter, usually spent her weekends with her father. Leaving on Friday's and coming back Sunday evenings. Today, Irene needed to make sure to pick Lizzie up early so they could do some early school shopping. Despite knowing this, Irene decided to stay for the night. Just in case more shit might start. Luckily, there wasn't any shit. Yet.

"Oh," Ariana chimed in, she began to stand as well. "I have to drop off Gracie at daycare." The simple thought made her head spin as the realization that she no longer needed daycare sunk in. No job, no demand for daycare. Irene however shook her head, snapping her fingers at Ariana.

"Sit," Irene demands, "Grace can come with us today. Stay with the boys."

Grace cheered. She enjoyed being with Irene and Lizzie. Irene allowed misbehavior almost all day whereas Ariana did not. Ariana clears her throat, snapping a glare at the twins before she slowly sat back down. The three adults sat in silence as Grace and Irene rush within the apartment to gather whatever they could for the day. The air is thick with tension. Murphy dare not to look up from his empty plate. Hating his fear of Grace and disliking Ariana's cold glances.

"Bye, mama! Bye, Connor and Murphy!" Grace wave happily at the front door with her pink bookbag on her small shoulders.

"That was interesting," Connor let out as if he had been holding his breath for decades. Irene and Grace now went, leaving them to talk amongst themselves. Though, Connor couldn't help but wonder if there will even be any real conversations. Ariana and Murphy act as if the other is too abundant to glimpse at.

"Ye could have told her," Murphy finally says as he finally breaks away from his state of shock. With the tip of his fork, Murphy began to stab strips of bacon from the main plate to his private one. Ariana gave Murphy a look, surprised by the audacity. How on earth can anyone break the news that their father is sitting right there in front of them without thought? Perhaps Murphy doesn't understand the complexity of this situation and how sensitive Ariana has to be with their child's emotions.

Ariana scoffs, throwing her napkin onto the table. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't, huh?"

"I'm just sayin'. Let the kid know her da is right in front of her. I mean, how long are ya gonna wait to tell her?" Murphy argues.

"Then you tell her!" Ariana shouts. "Since it is so easy. You do it!"

"Okay," Connor raised his hands out in front of them to signal the once lovers to quiet down. "As much as I enjoy drama, right now isn't the time."

Despite their own anger for the other, stronger than their once love, Ariana and Murphy silence themselves. Back then, Murphy would argue until his face went a crimson red. Not allowing anyone to challenge him and his viewpoints on such matters. But Connor is correct. Now isn't the time to go off about what is best for Grace and how to handle such a delicate situation. Now is the time to fix what the past has broken.

"Why are you two here?" Ariana blurts out, rubbing her forehead out of frustration. "I mean, you both leave without saying a damn thing to me. Then you come back like everything is peachy. It is offensive, unfair."

"Unfair?" Murphy hissed. "I didn't know I had a daughter for damn near three years, Ari!"

"YOU LEFT!" Ariana stood to her feet. "YOU LEFT AND I HAD TO MAKE EVERY DECISION ON MY OWN. MAYBE GOD WANTED YOU TO FUCKING LEAVE SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOUR BULLSHIT!"

"Ari -" Connor began but is interrupted by Murphy. It's like a domino effect. One word or action can bring Murphy back to his old ways.

"YA COULD HAVE TOLD ME, YEAH? I WOULD HAVE HAPPILY STAYED MY WHITE ASS HERE FOR THE CHILD!" Murphy snaps back, jumping to his feet. Nearly knocking Connor out of his own.

"Guys, I t'ink -"

"NO! YOU DONT GET TO MOVE WITHOUT ME!" Ariana shouts, stomping her bare feet into the tile flooring. "THAT IS NOT HOW WE WORKED!"

"Ariana, we came because we think we know who killed yer family," Connor spoke loud and swift. He too stood, his chest moving up and down timely. Breaking the news a little different than what he wanted. Ariana finally ceased her shouting to do a double-take at Connor. Her mouth is open and her right-hand held a familiar necklace wrapped around her neck. No words come from her as tears began to collect. She hadn't thought of the traumatic history in such a while, she no longer thought of who murdered her family.

"W-What?" Ariana choked.

"That's why we are here. Ter protect ye and kill those motherfuckers." Connor rubbed his hands together, wishing the aspirin would just work already. "I need a fuckin' cigarette."

The only sound within the kitchen now is the scratch of Connor pushing his chair back. His hand reached into his pocket, pulling out a worn box of cigarettes. Those heavy feet shuffle towards the balcony exit just right of the well spacious living room, but before Connor fully left his brother and once friend behind, he paused to place his opinion.

"This isn't my place to say but I'm going to anyway," Connor picked at the torn lid of his cigarette paper container before continuing, "Think about what is best for Grace. Not what happened years ago. She needs us all during this shit. Best we learn how to get along again."

Murphy blinked at his brother then rest his tired glances onto an anxious Ariana.

"Call dad, Murph. We got shit to figure out."

xx