#WIPpet Wednesday - Reunions (with the Tierneys part 1) #amwriting

WIPpet numbers for 4th January, 2017:
Going US style on the date - Jan 4 - for 14 paragraphs from Reunions

Sean Tierney is one of the main characters from Hiding Behind The Couch, and first appears in Ruminations (Prequel #2).

WIPpet Context: Sean has arrived in Derry with his son, Dylan. They’re spending Christmas with Sean’s mum.

* * * * *

Alas, Sean’s optimism was crushed when he heard the front door open, followed by the foreboding click of an aluminium crutch. A familiar cold sweat descended.

“Was your bathwater a bit on the hot side, Sean?” Finn limped into the kitchen and grinned at Dylan. “You’ve shrunk since I last saw ye.”

“All right, Finn?” Sean greeted neutrally and then was stunned to the point he muttered “Jaysus” by his brother’s embrace.

“I’m not bad at all.” Finn gave him a good, firm pat on the back and released him. “Yourself?”

“I’m grand. You’re looking well, Finn.”

Finn nodded noncommittally, but to Sean’s eyes, he looked healthier and happier than he had in a long while.

“So this is the nephew, then.”

“It is,” Sean confirmed even though they’d met before. The way Finn was eyeing Dylan, like he was an unidentfiable object, was as amusing as it was annoying.

“How you doing there, young man?” Finn set his crutch down and crouched with his bad leg stuck out to the side. He couldn’t quite get down to Dylan’s level, but the fact he was trying was a wonder in itself. “What is he now? Eighteen months?”

“Coming up on that, aye.”

Finn nodded and struggled, with a fair bit of grimacing, to stand upright again. Dylan was transfixed. Sean and his brother had never been alike to look at—they shared only the same thick, dark hair—but they sounded the same, even to their own mother. Or they used to. A quarter of a century across the Irish Sea had anglicised Sean’s accent, and he talked much slower these days. He had to or else his colleagues, patients and students didn’t have a clue what he was saying.

“Are you still off the booze?” Finn asked. He was en route to the fridge and pulled out two cans of beer.

“I am, I’m afraid.” Sean hated sounding so apologetic. He missed social drinking, and regretted having to turn down the first opportunity ever to have a drink with his brother, but kicking his addiction remained one of the greatest achievements of his life.

“Good man,” Finn said. He put one of the cans back without further comment and opened the other. Dylan startled at the noise and glared at Finn, who was swigging long from the can and didn’t notice until he moved it away from his face, at which point he held out the can to Dylan and said, “You’re a wee bit underage, so you are, but if you ask nicely…” He winked and got a half smile for his troubles.

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What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Witt - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x