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Mattie sighed wistfully, remembering that bittersweet day. From that moment on, everything had changed. IOYOU was no longer IOYOU. Instead, Louis and Ronan decided on renaming the group Westlife. But that wasn’t the only change for the group. The two managers had decided on cutting out three of the group's original members and had replaced them with two other boys from Dublin, Nicky Byrne and Bryan McFadden. Mattie recalled how guilty Mark had felt when Derek, Graham and Michael had been cut. But she had been there for him through it all. And when Nicky and Bryan came out to Sligo to live while they got the band together, she was the one who encouraged Mark to do his best to get along with the boys and to make them feel comfortable. And it had worked out for the best.
Now Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne and Bryan McFadden were part of one of the biggest and fastest rising pop groups in Europe, and best friends as well. Mattie had honestly never seen five guys get along with each other so well. They were truly like brothers.
Mattie, along with the rest of the inhabitants of Sligo, had followed the boys’ rise to fame eagerly. She recalled how proud she had felt, sitting in the Feehily family living room as Westlife accepted the “Best New Tour Act” at the Smash Hits Awards. Mattie smiled, remembering Mark’s excited phone call home after they had won their award. Mark’s mum had been crying so hard she could hardly speak, and everyone else in the room had been screaming and laughing and hugging, as were the five boys on the other end of the phone line. From that point on, the sky was the limit. The group had traveled absolutely everywhere in the world, and at that moment, they were off conquering America.
But through it all, nothing had changed between Mattie and Mark. They were still as close as ever, and they rang each other at least three times a week. Mark would tell her about everything the band was doing, and she would talk to him about everything that she was experiencing in Dublin at the University. Mattie sighed…nothing had changed. Things were the still the same, and they always would be...she was just grateful she had finally got over that bout of childhood infatuation...because that was just what that was...
“All off for Sligo Station!”
Mattie's head snapped up, startled from her reverie. A smile lighted her face as she realized that the train had finally arrived in Sligo. Excitedly, she gathered up her belongings and made her way to the exit. Once she got on the platform, she looked around anxiously for the people whom she knew would be waiting for her.
“MATTIE!” She turned her head in the direction of the voices. "Mat! Over here! Mattie! Hello! Welcome home, dear!!!” She laughed as she caught sight of them, hopping around and waving frantically.
“Hello everyone!” Mattie shouted back, waving her own free hand vigorously. She picked up her luggage and tried to restrain herself from hurdling the crowds and flinging herself into their waiting arms. “Hello!” she cried when she reached them. She was so happy she could almost cry. “Hello, Dad!” She threw herself into her father's arms and hugged him tightly.
“Hello darling, it’s wonderful to have you back," Robert O'Shaunessy said, hugging her back. Mattie was his only child, and she was more important to him than anything else in the world. She was the apple of his eye, and he doted on her. Every day, Mattie was becoming more and more like her beautiful mother, and for that he loved her even more.
“Hello, Nana! Hi Grandpa!” she said happily, giving them both hugs.
“Well, well, if it isn’t our little lass back home again,” her grandfather said proudly. “How did the book learning go this year?”
“It was wonderful, Grandpa! Absolutely fantastic, I had loads of fun,” Mattie said. She turned to the remaining members of her welcoming crowd. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Feehily! Thank you so much for coming to welcome me back!”
“Oh, think nothing of it,” Marie Feehily said dismissively, hugging Mattie tightly. “Of course we came! You’re family, dear.”
“Hey Barry! Hey Colin!” Mattie said, hugging them both. They both blushed, especially Barry. He had always been the shyest Feehily brother, but he adored her. Ever since he was six years old and she had totally chewed out one of the upper graders who had been into torturing the kids in the primary grades. “How are you guys? It’s so great to see all of you!”
“Well, we better get a hustle on home dear, you must be very tired from the trip,” her grandmother said, putting an arm around Mattie’s shoulders protectively.
“Oh, no Nana, it's okay, really. I'm feeling fine! Not tired at all,” Mattie insisted.
“Nonsense,” the older woman admonished. “Who knows what kinds of things you may have caught gallivanting around Dublin. You need your rest.”
Mattie rolled her eyes playfully and laughed. “You know, Nana,” she said in a serious tone. “Dublin’s actually quite clean. In fact, I only encountered four rats in my dorm room during the entire year at University."
“Rats!” Mattie's grandmother screeched. “That’s it Madeline, we’re taking you home straight away and you're going to take a good long shower.”
The two families laughed good-naturedly as they headed to their respective cars for the trip home.
Although the distance from the train station was no more than ten minutes, Mattie soaked each moment up eagerly. It felt so good to be home again. She hadn’t been back home since Easter break, and it felt like forever. Though she loved Dublin, and she loved her life as a student at the University, Sligo was home, and it was the one place that would always remain the same no matter what else was going on in the world. It was in her soul and would always be a part of her.
After a short duration, the two families reached their houses, which stood side by side, separated only by a low gray stone wall. The O’Shaunessy house was a quaint, small brick affair with gingerbread windows and creeper vines climbing up the sides. The garden was filled with flowers that she had planted herself with loving care. She was happy to see that it was still in the condition that it was when she had left.
The Feehily house was a little larger, and connected to it still was the Feehily family farm, which had been thriving for generations. No one used it for commercial purposes anymore. It was mainly used as land for riding the Feehilys’ horses and growing the horse feed. Mattie grinned as she recognized the building where they were stabled in the distance and made a mental note to go visit as soon as she got settled back in.
Mattie grabbed up one of her bags and breathed in the country air contentedly. She walked up the path to the front door, followed by her father, her grandparents, and all four Feehilys, who were grinning at each other mischievously. Only they knew what was about to happen.
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