Page 19 of Steadfast

“I’m jokin’!” He lifted his hands in surrender.

“Thank the good Lord,” Saoirse mumbled in our dad’s accent.

Cian laughed.

CHAPTER 4

Aoife

“Are you excitedfor your new job?”

“Yeah, and kind of nervous,” Richie said with a chuckle, glancing over at me.

We’d already grabbed dinner and were headed out to the viewpoint. It was in the middle of nowhere, and we’d never seen another car on the road that led there. It was our secret spot. We’d found it the first year we were dating when neither of us had any money, so Richie had used what little he had to put gas in his truck, and we’d driven around aimlessly for hours. It was one of the only places we’d been able to be completely alone.

“You’re going to do so great,” I assured him, smiling at the thought of it. Even after my argument with Saoirse, I was in a good mood. The worry about social services was behind us, Richie was going to start the career he was excited for, and all felt right in our little world. “You’re a people person. You get along with everyone.”

“I’m more nervous that I won’t like it,” he confessed with an embarrassed laugh.

“Valid concern,” I pointed out. “You’ll be dealing with other people’s poop.”

“Thanks,” he replied wryly. “Good visual.”

“Hey, man, plumbers are essential. At least you know there will always be work. People need plumbers.”

“Very true.”

“Tell me about this company you’ll be working for,” I said, sneaking a bite of tortilla from one of the tacos.

“I see you,” he said, looking my way again.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Richie shook his head. “The company is kind of small, well, not small I guess, but not huge either—which I thought was probably good, right? I won’t just get lost in a couple hundred employees. I met the owner, did I tell you that?”

“You did.”

“Yeah, so he interviewed me, which I thought was pretty cool. He was all about how the company is one big family and all that.”

“That’s cool.”

“They had pictures in the reception area—”

“Please tell me they weren’t of toilets they’d repaired,” I cut in.

“No, they weren’t,” he replied. “Smartass.”

I snickered.

“They were pictures of babies in little shirts with the company logo on the front.”

“That’s kind of an odd marketing scheme,” I pointed out. “Babies don’t use toilets.”

“That’s what I thought at first.” He nodded. “But they’re the employees’ kids.”

“Oh.” I thought about it for a moment. “Okay, that’s kind of cute.”

“Right? The receptionist saw me looking at them and said they send home little gift baskets whenever someone has a baby.”

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