Page 221 of Redeeming 6

Choosing to ignore my outburst, which, to be honest, I was mildly disappointed about, Mr. Nyhan turned his attention to Mam. “I know you and Teddy have your hands full with this one, Marie, and I hate to bring it up during such testing times, but I have to ask about Shannon. I sincerely hope that she is settling in well at Tommen.”

“She’s doing very well there, thank you,” Mam replied quietly. “And as for my son, he’s doing a lot better at school since Christmas.”

“Yes, well.” Not bothering to finish his sentence, he turned back to Trish. “Please know that while here at Ballylaggin Community School, we strongly discourage student relationships, we will not turn your daughter away in her hour of need.”

“Turn me away?” Molloy choked out, brow furrowing. “What does that mean?”

“Her hour of need?” I chimed in, shaking my head. “What in the hell kind of statement is that to make?”

“Joey,” Mam snapped again. “Enough.”

“She’s not riding into school on a donkey, looking for shelter,” I growled. “She’s looking for an education, not gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Mam dropped her head in her hands and sighed wearily. “Oh, Joey.”

“There’s a lot to be taken into account here, Joseph,” Miss Lane interjected in a haughty tone. “First and foremost, there’s the matter of whether or not the school’s insurance covers having a pregnant student on school grounds.”

“What are you saying?” Aoife croaked out, paling. “Insurance not covering me?” She looked to her mother. “Am I being expelled?”

“You are not kicking her out of school,” I snarled, sitting straight up. “This isn’t the nineteen fucking fifties. There’s no goddamn way that I’m going to allow you to shun her like she’s some sort of scarlet woman. If anything, I’m the scarlet fucking man.”

“Joey.”

“Seriously. I’m as pregnant as she is.”

“Joseph, please.”

“What?” I demanded. “It’s true. I’m the father. I put that baby in her. If you want to lay blame, lay it at my door, not hers. She has just over two months of school left, and she’s finishing it out. Over my dead body are you taking that away from her.”

“Joey, calm down. Aoife, just breathe. Nobody is kicking anyone out,” Trish tried to soothe, eyes locked on Mr. Nyhan. “It’s discrimination, not to mention completely against the law, to exclude a student from attending school on the sole basis of her being pregnant. Isn’t that right, Eddie?”

“Well, yes, of course it is.” The prick tried to backpedal. “Nobody is suggesting that your daughter be removed from school.”

“Just like nobody suggested that Samantha McGuiness be removed from school, or Amy O’Donovan, or Denise Scully. All girls from my terrace,” I sneered, giving him a look that said, Yeah, asshole, I know how it works. “If that’s the case, then explain to me what her angle is when she says the school’s insurance won’t cover Aoife being here?”

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t. I was just saying—”

“You were just trying to intimidate my girlfriend into going quietly, without making a splash for the school,” I corrected, cutting her off. “Yeah, I know your game. I didn’t come down in the last shower. I know how much easier it is for the school board when pregnant girls disappear from the roll book. Difference is, those girls had to do it alone.” I paused to point at Molloy before adding, “Aoife has me, and I have no intention of going quietly.”

If I could do nothing else for her, then I could stand in front of her and take the pressure, the disappointment, the pain. I could take the blows for her, and I would.

I sat there, back poker straight, muscles locked tight with tension, and took their disappointment on the chin, knowing that she was in no fit state to take another blow.

“Joey.” Mam placed a hand on my bopping knee and squeezed. “Please settle down, will you?”

“Yes,” Mr. Nyhan added, giving me a glaring look. “There’s no one fighting you on this.”

“Only because I made a preemptive strike,” I muttered under my breath. “What are we even doing here?” I looked around at their faces. “Aoife’s pregnant. I’m the father. She’s due after we finish school, so I really don’t understand the need for this bullshit meeting.”

64

Go to War for You

AOIFE

If I had any doubts about Joey Lynch’s willingness to stand by me before this meeting, they were long gone now. Because, as I sat in the office, listening to my boyfriend go to war for me against our year head and principal, all I could think was Thank god he’s mine.

Having my name added to the dreaded list of girls-who-got-pregnant-in-secondary-school was, by far, one of my most shameful moments, but I could feel nothing but pride when it came to who I was having this baby with.

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