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Wilder Mind

Twenty Three.

Twenty Three.
"Hey Ma." I smiled picking up my phone and putting my feet up on my desk.
We got back from LA on Friday and I took it easy over the weekend at home. Me and H had to go get a drink with Everett to make sure we didn't blow him off but other than that I laid in bed most of the weekend. I was a little affected by jetlag once again and was trying to just sleep off the fatigue. I didn't want to come back to the New York office this morning after being in the corporate one. Things seemed so much more relaxed there but it was probably the fact that I didn't have to do my actual job.
"Hi sweetheart. How are you?" she asked.
"I'm good, home from my business trip." I said.
"And how did that go?" she asked.
"It was good, a lot of fun actually. They treat ya well out there." I said.
"Have you gotten a flight home for Easter yet dear?" she asked.
"No, not yet, I was gonna do it tomorrow the flights are set to be cheapest then." I explained. "Why don't want me anymore? Disowning me from the family?" I joked.
"Oh yes, you know me Niall, always wanting to get rid of ya." she said.
"So do you want me to book it?" I asked.
"I was thinking maybe I could come there for this one." she said. "Greg's headed to Denise's family this time and I haven't been out your way in a long time."
"Ma, I'd love to have ya come!" I said a little too loud and Harry looked up at me with his eyebrows raised. "Oh, Harry perked up at the idea looks like you're gonna have to come now to appease him."
"Oh how could I pass up on him." she laughed.
"So it's settled? You're coming out?" I asked.
"Yes, I'll book my ticket." she said.
"This will be lots of fun Ma, I can't wait to see ya." I said.
"Alright, I love you my sweet boy. I'll talk to ya soon." she said.
"Love ya Ma, looking forward to it." I said and hung up.
I took my feet down off the desk and watched as Harry shook his head at me.
"You are such a Mama's boy." he laughed.
"You're trying to tell me you don't want to see her?" I asked.
"Not at all, I love Maura but how often do you hear a 28 year old man say 'I love you Ma' rather loudly over the phone at work?" he asked.
"Only a true man ever could." I laughed.
Nate and Kaine walked in through the doors about an hour late to work and dropped things at their desks. She was a little fidgety around H and I when we went out with her and Everett that night but was getting less and less hesitant, thank god. But she still wouldn't be alone with me anywhere at all in fear something would happen again. She grabbed some papers from the fax and walked over toward our cubes.
"Did Everett have a nice time out here?" H asked as she handed him a couple papers.
"Yeah he did. He did touristy things while I worked but it was nice to have him to go home to at the end of the day and grab dinner with." she said and handed me a few.
"When's the next time you'll see him?" I asked.
"Probably not until the wedding we have to go to in May, he doesn't have much time off until then." she shrugged.
"Are you headed home for Easter then?" H asked.
"No, my Mom and Dad are going on a vacation so I'll just be around here." she shrugged. "You guys?"
"Well, my Ma is coming in and me and H are spending it with her so you're more than welcome to join us. I'm sure she would love to meet you." I said. "I was planning on asking Louis and Liam and Nate too." I added for good measure.
"That would be really really nice, thank you." she said.
"Sure, it's still a month out so if you find that you're bound to do something else than that's fine but we'd love to have ya." I added again.
Well a month later Kaine still didn't have plans and my Ma was supposed to be flying in around 6 on the Thursday before Easter. I kept checking my watch to see what time it was so I could wrap up my work and head off to Newark to pick her up.
"H you still coming with me?" I whispered since he was on the phone.
"Are you leaving me now?" he whispered and places his hand of the receiver.
"Yeah, I'm gonna hit a shit ton of traffic if I don't." I said grabbing my things off my desk.
"I'm stuck on hold with one of our clients I don't think I can. Sorry man." he said.
"No problem, I'll text ya when I get back to mine." I said.
I put everything in my knapsack and shut down the computer and poked my head into Rhodes' office to wish him a Happy Easter and tell him I was on my way out.
"Where are you headed to?" Helen asked me as I walked past the reception desk.
"Gotta get my Ma from the airport." I responded stopping in my tracks to lean on the counter.
"How long is she staying for?" she asked.
"I think her flight home is Tuesday night." I said.
"Are you cutting out now?" Kaine asked.
"Yeah, I'm trying to beat the traffic." I said.
"I'm just trying to get out of here early we're dead today, mind if I come with you?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah, if you want to." I said uneasily.
In recent weeks Kaine was being much less cold to me but we still hadn't been alone together since New Years. I didn't know if she was really trying to get over this bump in the road or what, but it was a start. she collected her things behind her desk and waved goodbye to Helen. I looked back to my desk to make sure I didn't forget anything and noticed Harry staring back at me. He motioned with his head over my shoulder toward Kaine and looked puzzled and I just shrugged. He shook his head and motioned with his fingers for me to text him while cradling his office phone between his ear and shoulder.
"Ready?" I asked Kaine holding the door open.
"Yes, thank you." she said walking by me.
"You know you could've just left on your pwn, nobody would've noticed." I said walking through the door.
"Yeah but at least now if anyone asks questions I can say I was with you." she shrugged.
We walked into the elevator and were the only two on it and suddenly I got very self conscious. I kept shifting my weight and folding and refolding my arms. I knew she was trying not to notice by keeping up her constant chatter.
"Did you hear me?" he asked breaking me out of my trance and causing me to shift again.
"No sorry, was trying to think of the best route to take." I lied through my teeth.
"The tunnel?" she offered.
"Yeah probably the best bet." I nodded.
"Are you alright?" she asked and I shook my head yes.
We walked out into the lobby of the building to see the rain coming down harder than it was this morning.
"Ah, shit." I said defeated putting down my bag and pulling out my trench coat but felt something poking my leg.
"I got you covered. Literally." Kaine said holding up her umbrella.
"You're always prepared." I said pulling the coat up over my shoulders.
I opened up the door and let her go ahead of me so she could open the umbrella.
"Want to take it? You always say I hit you in the head." she said offering me the handle.
"Yeah I better. Can't have ya messing my hair before my Ma sees me." I laughed.
We walked the short way to the parking lot while the rain picked up. I opened her door for her and went back around to my side. It was reminiscent of the first week I knew her. We seemed to be getting to know one another all over again.
"You're gonna love Ma." I broke the silence.
"You keep telling me." she laughed.
"I'm just telling the truth, she'll love ya too. She's just easy going as all hell." I said.
"I'm excited to meet her." she said. "Hopefully the rain lets up for her."
"Otherwise my hair is gonna suffer." I joked.
We made it through the tunnel with minimal traffic which I was overly grateful for. I was getting more and more excited to see Ma every mile. Sure, I was a mother's boy but she was all the home I would have again until probably Christmas. She was my rock who'd always be there for me at any time I needed it.
We arrived at the airport and parked the car in one of the lots and I grabbed the umbrella out of the back seat again.
"I'm surprised you don't have a sign with your mother's name on it to hold in the pickup line." she teased.
"Oh enough out of you." I said knocking into her shoulder under the umbrella.
"What time is her flight coming in?" she asked.
"She should be landing in ten minutes." I said when we arrived at the terminal.
I put down the umbrella and we walked over toward the board to see if she had landed yet. We found an empty bench and sat patiently waiting to see Ma's face. I was more relaxed with Kaine than I was when we first left Wolfe but I still was on edge. I didn't want to push my luck.
"When's the last time she was here?" Kaine asked.
"Probably when I graduated and moved into my apartment. So nearly six years." I said. "She stayed for a couple weeks and met H while I was in orientation at Wolfe. That was the last time yeah."
"She's not gonna know what hit her." she said.
We sat waiting around and saw a large group of passengers coming from one corridor. I stood up and straightened my coat when I saw my disheveled Ma walking among them scanning the room for a familiar face.
"Maura!" I called when she was about ten yards away catching her attention.
"Niall, my boy." she said walking over in our direction wrapping her arms around me. "How are you sweetheart? You look well.
"I'm great Ma, better now that you're here, how was your flight?" I asked.
"It was long but fine." she said releasing me and looking over my shoulder.
"You must be Kaine dear." she said walking over to her and enveloping her in a big hug. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined you'd be!" she added.
"Oh, thank you, it is so nice to meet you! Niall talks so dearly about you." Kaine said grinning.
"As he should." Ma said pulling back and holding onto Kaine's shoulders just looking at her both of them smiling.
"Well Ma, we're off to meet H for dinner if that's alright with ya." I said.
"Of course it is. I'm just so glad to be here." she said.
"Alright well we better get going now otherwise we'll hit a shit ton of traffic." I said motioning toward the door.
"Alright alright I can take a hint lets get going." she said picking up her luggage.
"Can I carry anything for you Mrs-" Kaine began.
"Maura, call me Maura please." Ma interrupted.
"Okay, well anything I can carry for you?" she asked again.
"I've got it covered thank you dear." she said.
"Maybe just grab the umbrella for her." I offered.
"Oh, but your hair." Kaine teased.
"Take a good look at it now it's gonna be a mess from this rain." I grumbled.
"You look handsome sweetheart." Ma said. "I love the duster you look very professional."
We walked out of the terminal and into the rain and I sacrificed myself so the ladies could be dry and made a run for it to the car. I opened the doors for the two of them and tossed my Ma's stuff in the trunk before getting in soaked through my coat.
"When was the last time you were stateside Maura?" Kaine asked peeking around the seat.
"Not since Niall graduated. I feel like everything must've changed by now." she said. "How long 'ave you been living here for dear?"
"Since late August." she replied.
"I could never live here full time, I don't know how you kids do it." she shook her head.
Ma chatted our ears off about all the neighborhood drama for the rest of the ride back into the city to meet H. We dropped my car off at the garage near my building and walked four blocks to get to the Italian restaurant he was meeting us at. Luckily the rain let up at this point so nobody's hair had to suffer.
"Oh Maura, are you a sight for sore eyes!" H said when we came into sight.
"Harry dear how have you been love?" Ma asked giving him a hug and a kiss on both cheeks.
"So much better now that you're in the big city." he smiled.
"Oh enough out of you." she said.
We ate dinner and bid our goodbyes to Kaine and H as they walked off toward the nearest subway stop together. Ma was holding tight onto my arm just chatting away at how nice it already was to be here.
"So, now, that Kaine." Ma said when we got back to my car to grab her things.
"Yes, what about her?" I asked. "Do ya like her?" I asked nervously chewing on my lip.
"Yes of course I do, she's a sweetheart. What's she doing hanging around you boys all the time?" she asked.
"She's got some girlfriends too, outside of work and all. I think she just likes our company." I said.
"And what's her boyfriend got to say about her being with ya?" she continued to prod.
"He lives in Texas, I wouldn't know." I shrugged. "What are ya getting at here Ma?"
"She's very sweet and I can tell you're soft on her." she said bluntly.
"It's that obvious yeah?" I asked continuing to chew on my lip.
"Just be careful dear. Don't break your own heart, again." she said.
I thought about her words while we rode the lift up to my floor. She was right, I was going to end up causing trouble for myself, hell, I already had. It was easy to hide my affection for her when she was ignoring me for months but this was the first time I had been around her in such a small group in a long time and it was just pouring out of me. I thought this cold air between us for so long would've done me good and got her out of my system but being with her again just let it all come back.
"It hasn't changed a bit in here now has it?" Ma said walking through the doors into my apartment.
"Not a bit. I'm too shit at decorating to change it at all you did such a nice job initially." I shrugged putting my things down in the corner.
"It's been six years honey." she laughed.
"I know. It just doesn't make much sense to change it up, I'm gonna have to move out of here eventually." I said and put a kettle on for tea.
"Where will you go then?" she entertained my idea and sat down at my counter.
"Well, I'd like to stay in the states, New York in particular, but I'm thinking maybe it's time I get something more permanent, I'm tired of renting." I said.
"Not gonna come back to good old Ireland?" she asked.
"I wish I could, always to visit but I just don't have the same kind of opportunities there as I do here." I said.
"So are you going to start looking at houses then?" she asked.
"I've gotta make a little more money so that I won't be completely broke after I buy one, that is if I do ever get to buy a house." I said. "I'd like to think I should be making more than I am at Wolfe." I said.
"Well go in and ask for a raise then." she offered.
"Ma, are you hearing yourself? I just got a raise in August, I can't just march into the office and demand more money. Not even the programmers who have been there longer than me have done that." I said with a bit of a laugh.
"You said you're little team there has brought in so much revenue since you started working together, bring that up. You deserve a raise if you've been working this hard." Ma said.
"I'll consider it Ma." I said and fixed her a cuppa.
On Friday we caught beautiful weather so I took Ma upstate a little ways so she could see the rural side of the states. She hadn't been anywhere other than the city over here and I always loved to drive around on country roads rather than be stuck in awful city traffic.
H and I took her to the Met on Saturday and let her roam around the whole place looking at every piece of artwork and commenting on every single one of them. We brought took her to see the She Loves Me revival that night on Broadway and then took her on an Irish pub crawl Harry had curated while he was supposed to be doing work last week. Everyone loved her at the pubs, but how couldn't they, she was the best Irish woman on the planet.
Easter Sunday finally came and I was polishing off the shoes she got me for Christmas while I waited for her to finish up in the bathroom.
"Ma, we've gotta go." I said glancing at my watch.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." she said hurrying out into the living room.
"Ya mind walking?" I asked.
"That's fine I can manage a few blocks." she nodded.
I put on my suit coat and led her out the door. We had to get to St. Patrick's Cathedral for the first Easter mass of the day and it was bound to be packed in there. I hadn't been to mass there in ages it was just too many tourists walking around during the actual services. I knew Ma would be instantly bothered by it but it was the most beautiful church in Manhattan.
We walked the few blocks to the church and sat through the Easter mass which was absolutely lovely. Ma hadn't been to the Cathedral before and she found it absolutely stunning which made her look past the tourists. I walked her to the nearest subway station so we could meet Harry for brunch by The High Line.
"Ma, come on." I said trying to hand my MetroCard back to her through the gate.
"Give me a second Niall, I've never done this before." she said taking it out of my hand.
"Just swipe it, it's fine." I said urging her along knowing we might miss the soonest one.
"Alright relax now." she said making our way through.
"It's really not that hard to figure out the trains." I said leading her through the maze of people to get to our platform.
"You've been living here for ten years, this is my first time. Didn't realize you became such a city boy on me." she said following along.
When we were on our train I kept her close so she wouldn't manage to get off on the wrong stop. We got to the diner and saw Harry waiting for us at a table through the windows. He schmoozed Ma completely and dressed up for the occasion which was nice.
"How many do we have for dinner tonight, I told them eight." he said in between bites.
"Are Nate's parents coming then?" I asked him.
"Just his mom. Me, you, the lovely Maura, Nate, Liam, Lou, Kaine, and his two mom." he nodded.
"Ma, you thought Harry was a charmer wait until you meet Liam. You'll want to trade me in for him as your son." I said.
"I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of them." she said cutting into her french toast.
Harry spent the rest of the day with us window shopping, and actual shopping, for Greg and his wife and Theo plus Ma's friends back home. I was absolutely knackered from all the walking and waking up early for mass but Ma insisted we go to Central Park for a while after we dropped things off at mine. I couldn't say no to her even if I wanted to.
"Alright so Ma, get ready for the introductions." I said leading her into the restaurant in the Upper West Side.
"I'm not as old as you think I am Niall, I can remember a few names." she said.
"Oh sure you can." I said leading her through the tables.
"But remember Maura, after this, I'm still your favorite." Harry teased.
"Yes of course, how could I forget." she laughed.
"Hello again Jean, Happy Easter." I said greeting Nate's mom and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Niall darling how are you?" she asked hugging me.
"Very fine thank you." I said. "This is my Ma, Maura."
"It's a pleasure." Jean said giving my Ma a hug.
"And Ma, listen up now, you remember Kaine, next to her his Louis, and then there's Liam, and the only American lad at the table is Nate. Got it? And everyone, this is my Ma, Maura." I said giving the introductions.
Everyone said their hellos and we ordered plenty for the table and let my Ma and Jean get talking to us about anything and everything. They wanted to know exactly what each of us had to do in our jobs and just about every personal detail about us.
"Now, do you guys have any friends outside of work? It seems like Nate here only talks about you guys." Jean asked.
"I sure as hell don't hang around with my roommate." Nate said under his breath.
"I mean, I have a few girlfriends outside of these guys to keep me sane." Kaine shrugged.
"We all just get along very well and keep each other sane in the office." Liam shrugged.
"And I'm with Nate, I sure as hell don't hang around with my roommates either." Louis scoffed earning a laugh from the rest of us.
"Do you think we need some new friends?" H asked playfully raising his eyebrows.
"Enough out of you Harry." Ma teased him.
Thinking about it though I really didn't have anyone outside of work who I was friends with around here. All my friends from college head back to their hometowns and I hadn't heard much from them since graduation. I obviously had my friends back in Ireland but around here it was the Wolfe House people. We just all got each other.
"Well ladies, I have an extravagant Irish pub crawl planned for the rest of the night to keep Maura from getting homesick, are you in?" H asked.
"I haven't been on a pub crawl in nearly 30 years." Jean laughed.
"Oh come on Mom, it'll be good fun." Nate prodded her.
"I'll do a couple, but I've gotta catch the train out of Penn Station by 1." she shrugged.
"Let's get a move on then, yeah?" Louis said.
It was pretty bitter cold as we marched from pub to pub the rest of the night but it was all in good fun. Jean and Nate skipped out after the first bar and we wished them safe travels as they went along. When we got to the third bar I could see my Ma getting a little tipsy and it was ridiculously funny to see. I had only seen her a little drunk once at my brother's wedding but she was getting there tonight and sure to complain about a hangover tomorrow.
Kaine was keeping an eye out on her and on the rest of us for that matter. I was only having a beer or two at each place we went because Ma was still my Ma. No matter how old I am I'll still feel like she'll punish me if I do anything too obscene. And I think parading through the streets of New York drunk off my arse would be one of them.
At our last stop of the night, McGees, Ma placed her hand on my forearm clearly effect by the all the drinks my friends kept buying for her. She smiled at me the way she did whenever she was overly proud for something so small I've done.
"I'm glad'ta be here." she said slowly. "With you all. They're all so sweet Niall."
"Not sweeter than me, right?" I asked with a little laugh.
"You're not my sweet boy for nothing." she said.
"I'm glad ya came out Ma." I smiled. "Even if you're gonna be hungover as hell tomorrow."
"Maybe I won't be, you guys keep me young." she said.
"Whatever you say." I laughed.
And the next morning, hungover was exactly what she was.

Notes

Comments

@Katiiee.kiingg
Hey thanks for reading! Just put up another chapter!

Love this!

Katiiee.kiingg Katiiee.kiingg
2/18/19

@Couchpotato
Hey finally updated! Thanks for reading!

Pleaseeeeeee update

Couchpotato Couchpotato
7/24/18

I love these little moments they have. Can't wait for things to get heated ;)

Syden17Jade Syden17Jade
6/1/18