Page 99 of The Secret We Keep
“A few pages.”
She claps her hands together, eyes sparkling. “That’s grand. Coffee’s in the pot. I’ll go get Evie.”
I take off my coat and make my way through to her kitchen like I always do. Grabbing a mug and pouring the coffee, I add five sugars and take a seat at the table. The newspaper’s already out on the table with Mr O’Keefe’s glasses sitting neatly on top.
Intrigued by the picture on the front, I skim over the headline and sip my coffee as I read. Distant voices then have me looking out the window.
Coming towards the house side by side, Paddy and his father walk with their heads down, deep in conversation. Paddy stops and throws his hands up in the air. “What am I supposed to do?” I catch him saying.
Frank O’Keefe turns to face him. “Honestly, son. I have no idea. But you need to be careful.”
Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs, I quickly look back down at the newspaper.
“Anything interesting?” Siobhan asks me, both arms full of dirty laundry.
“No,” I tell her, pretending to read. I pick up my mug and take a sip before placing it back down. “Just boring politics.”
She grumbles. “Waste of time, if you ask me. Bunch of lying—”
“Morning, Morgan.” Evie dances into the kitchen, cutting Siobhan short.
“Wow, you’re full of beans this morning.”
Evie opens the cupboard for a bowl and grabs the cereal. “It’s the holidays. No school for a whole week!”
“How are you liking your new school?”
Evie shrugs, humming under her breath. “It’s good. I’m brainier than half the kids in my class.”
“Way to stay humble,” Siobhan says, closing the washing machine door and turning it on.
Pulling out a chair, Evie kneels on it while pouring cereal into a bowl. “Uncle Paddy said not to lie. So I’m not. Iamcleverer than most of the kids there.”
Me and Siobhan both laugh, looking at one another. “Well, if Uncle Paddy says so, I guess he’s right,” Siobhan agrees.
“He is,” Evie confirms. “Just like he was right about that old guy the other day.”
“Evie,” Siobhan then scolds. “Thatold guyhas a name, you know.”
Evie eye rolls Siobhan, chomping down on her first mouthful of cereal.
Siobhan lets out a sharp sigh. “His name is Bert.”
Milk splashes on the table as Evie snorts into her spoon. “Bert.” She shoves another spilling spoon into her mouth.
“Yes, Bert. And he is very lucky that Patrick was there to help him.”
“I know,” Evie says with her mouth full, milk slipping past her lips. “Uncle Paddy said if we’d been a minute longer, tentacles would have grown out of his arse.”
Siobhan’s mouth drops open. “Evie. He needed his inhaler. It had nothing to do with his… you know.”
I cover my smile, and Siobhan shakes her head in disgust.
“What? Uncle Paddy—”
“That’s enough about Uncle Paddy,” Siobhan tells her with a flick of her wrist. “When I see him, he’ll be getting his behind whooped for telling you nonsense like that.”
Evie giggles. “I can’t wait to see it.”
