Mo Chroi (My Heart)

         “I’m leaving.” Those two words turned Emily’s world upside down. She stared at the



dark haired man in front of her in shock. She and her boyfriend Liam had just gotten back from



a date when he sprung the words on her. “What…do you mean you’re leaving? Leaving me?”



She asked with a quiver in her normally strong voice.



         “No! Not you! Never you! I….they’re sending me off.” He blurted out with a troubled sigh.

         She shivered at the defeat in his voice. In all the years she had know Liam,



platonically and romantically she had never heard him sound so broken. “Why? What have you



done to deserve being sent off?” Liam had a temper, he got into fights, everyone knew that, but



he’d never hurt anyone, never been in jail…nothing.

         He smiled humorlessly “One fight too many.” With a gasp, Emily knew what he was



talking about; it was the most violent fight Liam had been in, the police had been called, even



though no one pressed any charges. And it had been her fault.





         “Liam, no! It wasn’t your fault, you know that! I caused it, you were defending me!”



         “They don’t care Emily, all they saw was that I was this close to hospitalizing



someone, they didn’t see him pin you against that wall, just me pounding his face in.”



         She let loose a sob and threw herself into his open arms, her tears dampening his



blue button down shirt. He held her tight against him, and she burrowed herself into his



muscular chest.

         “Where are you going?” She whispered some time later, after she had gotten control



of her emotions. They were perched on her porch swing, her parents gone for the night.



         “New York. Some boarding school there they thing will ‘help’ me.” He scoffed. The



only thing wrong with him was a protective streak a mile wide. Especially when it came to her.



He knew Emily could protect herself, he’d seen her take down men his size before they started



dating, and he was tall and broad. She whimpered again and he squeezed her “Shh mo chroí,



it’ll be fine”



Mo chroí. My Heart, his name for her when they were alone. One of the few things she knew



from his homeland’s native language.  No one beside them (and his parents) knew what it



meant, which made it even more romantic in her eyes. “When are you leaving?” She finally



asked him. She needed to know how much more time she would have with him.



         He sighed and whispered “Monday.”



She froze. Four days? She had four days left with the love of her life? “M...Monday?” She



stuttered out. Surely she heard him wrong?



         “Aye, four days for us my love.” The accent he lost years ago slipped through in his



emotional state. He hated putting her through this. She had had so much heartache in her life



already. He briefly remembered the horrible day she’d lost her father and sister in a freak car



accident. She’d stayed at his house for a week, his parents letting them share a bed when



Emily had awoken from the fifth nightmare in the same night, calming only when he’d drawn her



into his embrace.



         “When will you be back?” Maybe she could make it through his absence by counting



the days away until she could see him again.



         “In a year, this school…its different, I can’t come back during breaks. I’m labeled



as ‘troubled’ the school’s suppose to keep an eye on me, I won’t even be allowed to leave



campus alone. But I’ll call, I’ll call you everyday.” He chuckled “You’ll be the only one I’ll be



calling.” He was barely talking to his parents as it is. No way in hell was he gonna call them



from the very place they were sending him. “I’m gonna spend every moment with you Emily, I’m



not going home. I won’t even see them until before I leave.” In his mind, he didn’t even have



parents anymore………

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         She stood in the crowed airport, holding on to Liam for dear life. Tears were running



down her face and Liam’s deep brown eyes looked suspiciously watery. He was mumbling in



broken Gaelic into her hair, she recognized some of it, declarations of love and curses meant



for his parents. She curled her fingers into his biceps, willing their bodies to be transported



anywhere but here. She eyed the claddagh ring on her left hand. Knowing Liam wore one on his



too. He’d given her the ring before he had driven them to the airport. As he slid it over her finger



he’d promised to come back to her, to always love her. She believed him.



         Liam reluctantly broke their embrace, knowing he needed to leave in a few



minutes. “Is tú mo ghrá, Emily. I love you Emily. Mo chroí. Forever.” He whispered into her ear



before crushing his lips to hers, caring none that his parents were witnessing their passionate



kiss. If they don’t want to see him say goodbye they could leave. He didn’t want them here



anyways. They broke apart when air became necessary and Liam had to pry her fingers off his



shirt. “Be good Emily. I’ll call you as soon as I land. And buy that web cam.” He kissed her one



last time before stepping back.



“I will. I love you Liam.” She stroked his face with her hand before stepping back as well. He



turned toward his parents and approached his mother. She was crying and even though he was



mad at her he hugged her quickly. His father would get no emotions from him though. He stared



hard at his father, then turned and walked away, glancing back to see Emily flinch away from



his mother. And to his amusement, slap his father hard…..



          Mórríghan O’Shay watched the girl she’d come to love as a daughter walk away.



She hadn’t been too surprised when the normally quiet and reserved girl had slapped her



husband. She knew the couple had been mad at them; she hadn’t seen or heard from Liam



since they had told him about the school. She hated doing this to them, especially Emily. But



once Conner had made a decision about their hardheaded son, he couldn’t be swayed. But



looking at her husband now, rubbing the red handprint on his cheek, she thought she could see



a hint of regret in his dark gaze. As she walked past him she said “You’ll come to regret this



Conner, I know it.”

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         Barely two months had passed since Liam’s departure when Mórríghan was woken



by a frantic phone call from Emily’s mother. It seems that when she had gone to check on her



increasingly depressed daughter she had found her room empty and the window open. Did



Mórríghan have any idea where Emily might be? Yes she did. Crawling out of her otherwise



empty bed (Conner had been order to the couch again) she tiptoed up the stairs and peeked



into Liam’s room. The hall light illuminated the room and there on Liam’s bed lay Emily,



clutching one of his shirts and crying.



         Emily heard Mórríghan come in and looked up at her. They had settled their



differences not long after Liam left, when Emily learned that Mórríghan had not approved of her



husband’s decision. “Emily? Are you alright? Your mother called, she was worried about you.”



She shook her head, no she wasn’t fine. She wouldn’t be fine until Liam was home and even



them her world would never be the same again. When Mórríghan sat on the bed next to her, she



dug into her pocket and pulled the reason for her turmoil out and handed it to Liam’s mother.



When she heard Mórríghan’s gasp she buried her head in the shirt she had taken from Liam’s



closet. Emily looked up when Mórríghan laid a hand on her shoulder. She sat up and looked



into her blue eyes. Mórríghan’s eyes held no condemnation, only concern and love for her son’s



girlfriend.



         “You’re pregnant?” She asked. Emily nodded, not trusting herself to say anything,



lest she start crying again.  “When?”



“Night before he left.” She said so quietly that she didn’t think \Mórríghan had heard her until



she pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry Emily. So sorry that I let him leave.” When she pulled



back she had a determined look on her face, pulling Emily up off the bed she said “We’re bring



Liam back, I’ll call the school in the morning. But first we are going to tell that stubborn



husband of mine what’s what.”



         Emily let loose a quiet giggle at the thought of the tiny Mórríghan putting Conner—



who was built like a linebacker—in his place. It felt good to be able to laugh again. She hadn’t



laughed since Liam had left. She knew her mom was worried about her, and she was sorry she



had brought her depressed mood down on others.



         They stalked down the stairs and into the living room, where Mórríghan threw the



lights on, causing Conner to jump and fall off the small couch. He stood and glared at



them “What the `ell is goin’ on `ere?” His brogue thick with sleep.



Mórríghan just stared at him, arms crossed and looking very intimidating for a woman of barely



five feet. “Listen here Conner, I’ve let you boss me around long enough concerning Liam and



tonight I’m changing that.”



“What do ya mean woman?”



“I mean that as soon as it’s dawn I’m calling that dreadful school and bringing my boy home.



Liam’s miserable there and Emily is miserable here.”



“Ya can’t do that!”



“Watch me. We both know that there is nothing wrong with him. He’s just like you, possessive



and protective. With my temper. I know it’s not necessarily a good combination but you know



he’d never hurt anyone. So I am going to set your mistake right, no matter what you say.” With



that Mórríghan and Emily stalked off, leaving a speechless Conner in their wake.



        They collapsed into giggles when they were out of Conner’s hearing range. “Oh it felt good



knocking him down a few notches.” Mórríghan said through her laughter. She looked around for



the clock “I think it’s late enough to wake that pointy nosed witch don’t you think?” She asked,



referring to Liam’s counselor, who Liam had nicknamed the wicked witch of the East Coast.



Emily nodded, glancing at the clock, it was five thirty here meaning it was six thirty there.



Mórríghan picked up the phone and dialed, while it was ringing she looked at Emily “Call Liam



on his cell, tell him what’s happening.” With a smile Emily pulled out her cell and pressed one



on her speed dial.



“`Lo?” Liam answered groggily



“It’s me. Sorry to wake you up.”



“S’alright, are you okay?”



“I’m fine, guess what?”



“M’brain is on yet so tell me.”



“Your mom is on the phone with Ms. Perrington….Liam, she’s bringing you home!”



“What! Really? When can I leave?” That seemed to have woken him up.



“Hold on and I’ll see.” Emily looked over to Mórríghan who was growling into the phone. “I don’t



care that we won’t get our money back; my son is coming home today if I have to fly out to get



him myself!” Emily turned back to her cell and answered him “Better book the next flight, she’s



threatening to come and get you.”



Liam’s deep chuckle came through the phone and made her shiver “Sounds like her. I’ll see you



in a few hours then.”



“Yeah.” She said quietly with a smile, fingering the ring she hadn’t taken off except to shower.



“I’ll see you soon, mo chroí” And he hung up. She disconnected on her end and turned back to



Mórríghan who was hanging up herself. They looked at each other then smiled. Mórríghan



hugged her tight then shooed her up the stairs “You get some sleep; you’ll need your energy



when we go to get our Liam.” Emily raced up the stairs and flung herself onto his be, curling up



under his covers and gripping the shirt close. Just a few more hours…..



~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>~~~>



         Liam stepped through the gate at one o’clock. He looked around, trying to spot



either Emily’s brunette waves or his mother’s mop of black curls. Seeing neither he walked



away from the gate only to be tackled from behind. He dropped his bag and turned around to



find Emily had attached herself to his arm. He scooped her up and spun her around in a hug.



Setting her on the ground he buried his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of lavender and



cotton. “Emily…” He sighed. She hugged him to her and buried her face in his chest. He



grasped her chin and made her look at him “Emily, will you marry me?” He had been dying to



ask her since before he had left.



         She smiled and nodded but before he could sweep her into another hug she grasped



his face between her hands and whispered in almost perfect Gaelic “Tá tú Athair.”











Tá tú Athair: you’re a father