Chapter Six Sidney rushed around the house trying to get Bailey ready for school. She had woken up late to find him watching cartoons in the living room and eating ice cream...which he had used to make the most beautiful design on the carpet of a dog. He was very proud of it as he showed his mommy when she walked into the living room with the TV turned up loud...he got that from Mark. Bailey smiled at Sidney with ice cream smeared across his face and dripping off his fingers. How can you be angry with a face like his and so happy with his creation. She cleaned up Bailey, the carpet, fed him a somewhat nourished breakfast and got him dressed. She tried to make herself presentable...she was picking Mark up at the school and the hopes of maybe seeing Nicky was what made her smile.
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Bryan kept his distance as he tried to get over Sidney in the last
four months...he did his work at the club...spent time with Bailey as he
promised and was civil with Sidney. But it killed him to see the attention
that Nicky would give Sidney at the club. Nicky was nice enough but Bryan
couldn't be with Sidney, then no one should. He knew that he should be happy
for Sidney..she was actually smiling... but she was smiling because of the
attention that she was getting from Nicky..the attention that should have
been his.
"You are bigger man then me." Mark said as he sat next to Bryan at the bar.
"Why's that?" Bryan said as he took a drink of his third Vodka shot.
"Watching Sidney with Nicky and not decking him." Mark said as he ordered a beer.
"She is happy, I am happy." Bryan didn't even look at Mark. He sat staring at the walls of the club as the music pierced through him.
"Yes she is happy. Nicky is a great guy, Bryan." Mark turned the stool to face Bryan as Sidney and Nicky passed them. Their laughter went through Mark and Bryan as they walked holding hands. He wanted to tell Bryan that he knew exactly how he felt. That he had to watch him and Sidney together and now watch Nicky and Sidney together.
"That's makes it worst, Mark." Bryan took the last sip of his Vodka shot and pat Mark on the back. "But you are the bigger man or should I say the dumbest." Bryan paid his bar bill and walked up on the stage to perform. Somehow the songs didn't mean anything to him, he wasn't singing to them anyone and it seemed a waste of his time but he put on his professional smile and began singing..singing as Sidney danced with Nicky.
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Sidney packed Bailey's lunch as he ran in-between her legs yelling the
Indian cry that Shane taught him. She dodged the hyper lad as she buttered
the bread asking him what he wanted for a snack. It took 15 minutes before
she got an answer but she was finally getting close to walking out the door
to take him to school.
"Bailey, go get your coat, sweetie. We have to leave..." Sidney words were stopped as she reached for the phone that was ringing... "Hello?" She said as she scooted Bailey to his room to get his jacket.
"Good morning, Sid." Said the cheery voice of Andrea.
"Andrea!" Sidney yelled with excitement. She hadn't talked to Andrea for months and it was so good to hear her voice... the voice that had calmed her so many times.
"How are you?" Andrea asked trying to hide her true feelings.
"Don't ask...running late as always." Sidney finished packing the lunch and sat it on the counter next to her purse.
"How are things? I haven't talked to you for a while. Sorry, things have been crazy at the restaurant." Andrea was the head chef at a very elegant restaurant in Carlsbad, California. She had three other chef under her and was just about to open her own restaurant...until life had completely changed on her.
"Things are good, actually. So how is your new adventure with your own restaurant?" Sidney asked as she sat down on the stool.
"I am on my way to Sligo." Andrea quickly said.
"When?" Sidney asked with excitement. She missed Andrea, she needed her smile and her words of wisdom that she relied on.
"I leave in two hours." Andrea got her ticket the night before to Sligo right after Cole left her house. It was an impulse but she knew that if she waited, she wouldn't get the courage.
"In two hours? Andrea, how long as you been thinking about this?" Sidney said as Bailey entered the kitchen." Bailey, get your jacket, we have to leave."
"I don't want to wear my jacket." Bailey said as he grabbed his lunch.
"Bai, it's freezing outside, you have to wear you jacket." Sidney held the phone to her chest as she spoke.
"No! I don't want to cover up my sweater that Uncle Mark gave me for Christmas." Bailey said as he crossed his little arms.
"Bailey, you can take your jacket off when you get to school. Now go and get it, we are running late."Sidney began to gently lead the lad towards his room.
"NO!" Bailey said as he stumped his feet.
"Bailey Michael Marcus Kavanagh! You go get your jacket and put it on." Sidney said as she once again led him towards his room.
"NO!! I don't want to wear my jacket! I don't want to wear my jacket!" He yelled again.
"Bailey, if you don't go and get your jacket, you are not going to Uncle Mark's tonight." She said with much force.
"FINE!" Bailey yelled as he stormed out the kitchen.
"Do you want a 5 year old when you get here?" Sidney asked Andrea laughing.
"Having problems with the Bailey?" Andrea said laughing.
"He has just been a hand full for a few months." After Sidney and Bryan broke up, Bailey has had fits of rage, his way of dealing with the hurt of Bryan not being around as much. "So, you were saying about you coming to Sligo?"
"I will be there tonight at midnight." Andrea said quickly.
"What about Cole? What did he do to you?" Sidney asked trying to get the truth from Andrea.
"Nothing... I mean..I just need a vacation."She said quickly. She had practiced her answers knowing that Sidney would ask them. "Have you met anyone new?" She asked trying to change the subject.
"Yes I have. You will really like him, Andrea. I can't wait until...." Sidney was interrupted by Bailey entering the kitchen...naked....wearing only his jacket... "You aren't going to believe this." Sidney said trying not to laugh
"What has little Michael done now?" Andrea asked.
"He is standing in front of me, naked, wearing his jacket." Sidney quickly looked away from Bailey trying to control her laughter.
"Well, you told him to get his jacket on." Andrea said laughing.
"Bailey, you are going to freeze your little bum." Sidney said as she placed the phone down on the counter.
"If I can't wear Uncle Mark's sweater....then I don't wanna wear anything." Bailey said with his arms crossed over his bare chest.
"Bailey go get dressed. You don't have to wear the jacket." Sidney took the jacket off Bailey as he ran down the hallway cheering in his victory.
"Can he get anymore like Michael?" Sidney said to Andrea as she put the jacket on the corner.
"Only difference, you and Michael would have been on the floor enjoying his nakedness." Andrea said laughing.
"You're right." Sidney laughed but then her heart began to sink as she thought of Michael. "I really miss him, Andrea." Sidney said softly.
"I know, honey, I'm sorry." Andrea had always enjoyed seeing Michael and Sidney together, she wished she could find someone like Michael and have the love they had. But instead she attracted jerks who loved to show their love by hitting Andrea. For the first time, Andrea found the strength to leave Cole. She was running away from the pain but she knew that seeing Shane would bring up the old pain.
"I just feel like his memory is slipping away from me and I can't do anything about it." Sidney said as Bailey entered the kitchen.
"We will talk about this when I get there. And I want to hear about this new guy." Andrea said trying to change the subject.
"You'll like him." Sidney said as a smile came across her face as she thought about Nicky. The last couple of weeks had been amazing for her. She hadn't stopped smiling since their first date and she couldn't wait to see him. She attended his matches with pride as she cheered the team on. She enjoyed the drinks they had afterwards as he explained the whole concept of football to her. They had seen each other everyday for the last two weeks as she just couldn't get enough of him. He was everything that she wanted in a man and she couldn't believe that he wanted to be with her. But even the good in Nicky...deep down...there was something...there was always something. She buried her feelings and denied her emotions.
The two girls talked a few more minutes, Sidney got the details of Andrea's arrival, Bailey talked to Aunt Andrea for a few more minutes and then the Kavanaghs were finally out the door. Bailey caught the breeze of spring as it went through him. Sidney simply put his jacket over his shoulders as he smiled up at his mommy. He had won the battle that morning but his mommy still took care of him.
~That Afternoon~
Kian entered the room of excited five year olds as he eyed Bailey
running after a cute red head little girl as she laughed at his silliness.
But as soon as Bailey got sight of his Uncle Kian, he ran to him as Kian
scooped him up in his arms.
"What are you doing here, Uncle Kian?" Bailey asked as he hugged his neck.
"Your Mommy was still at the club with Uncle Shane. So I volunteered to pick you up." Kian said as he wiped the cookie crumbs from Bailey's chin.
"Are we picking up Uncle Mark?" Bailey asked as he played with Kian's necklace.
"We sure are and then you get to spend the night with Uncle Mark. But I thought we would get some ice cream first." Kian said putting the excited Bailey down as a beautiful woman walked up to him.
"Miss Daniels, this is my Uncle Kian!" Bailey yelled at his teacher.
"Please to meet you." Kian said stretching out his hand to her as he smiled. She was absolutely beautiful with her short auburn hair, blue eyes that could melt any guy and a smile that was electric.
"Please to meet you, Uncle Kian." She said with a twang to her words.
"I'll get my jacket but Mommy said I don't have to wear it." Bailey ran to the coat closet and searched for his jacket.
"Bailey is very lucky to have so many Uncles that care for him. I have met Mark and Bryan. Very please to meet you." She said as every word glided to the southern twang that Kian loved.
"From you accent, I can tell you aren't from here." Kian said as she began to melt in his smile.
"I am here on a teaching exchange from South Carolina." She said as Bailey stood next to his Uncle Kian.
"Isn't Miss Daniels pretty?" Bailey asked as the two blushed.
"Yes, she is Bailey. Very pretty." Kian said looking at her.
"Uncle Kian owns the club that my Mommy owns. My Uncle Shane owns the club too. You should come and see Uncle Kian at the club." Bailey said shifting his book bag.
"I would like that. I haven't seen much of Sligo." She smiled as the two stood in the gaze.
"I could show you around, since I have lived here my whole life." Kian said as he took the book bag from Bailey. "And you can stop by the club anytime."
"That would be nice. And my name is Emily." Emily couldn't help but get lost in Kian's smile, it was so igniting and warm. It had been a lonely two months in Sligo, being new and American, to have some company and company as handsome as Kian was almost too much to ask for.
"Well, Emily, come by the club tonight, we can have dinner and then go for a drive, the night sky is beautiful at this time." Kian said as he admired her beauty and the beauty of her name. He couldn't believe how forward he was but he had been lonely since Marie had left and there was something about Emily that he couldn't resist. Bailey began pulling at Kian's hand as he made his good-byes. Emily promised to see him tonight as the two boys made their way to the car.
"Thank you Bailey." Kian said as he fasten Bailey's seat belt.
"Why?" Bailey asked as he pulled out his black Teddy Bear from his book bag.
"For Emily." Kian smiled at Bailey as he kissed his forehead. Bailey laughed at the tickle from Kian's lips as he smiled at the match making that he did. Now to just get his Mommy and Uncle Mark together.