Always on My Mind (Stanmore FC Soulmates #2)

8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Ach, Tessa, it’s yourself!” her mother said pleasantly, as if she’d walked back into their house in Derry.

“Aye, well, I do, y’know, live here,” Tessa shot back. “Which leads me to wonder what you’re doing here?”

Mary Ann Gallagher bustled over to the record player and turned the volume down until it was almost inaudible. She tucked a lock of her pixie-cut hair behind her ear and faced her daughter with a nod. Tessa often saw herself in her mother—the blonde hair, brown eyes, and willowy frame were all inherited from her. Only Mary Ann had an intense love of jumpers with cats embroidered on the front and mum jeans. And she wore her glasses on a beaded chain around her neck like a grandma. Glasses which she promptly set on her nose to give Tessa a hard stare.

“I’m here because I’m your mother and I heard your ex-girlfriend was in town,” Mary Ann said. “And it’s a good thing I did, too. You’re clearly in pieces about it by the state of this place.”

“Ma, I’m fine,” Tessa insisted. “You didn’t have to come all the way from Derry to—”

“Alright, Mary Ann, I’ve taken the rubbish out to the bin, but—”

Tessa whipped around to spot her father’s hulking frame in the doorway, mouth open from stopping mid-sentence before cracking a smile. He pushed his long, dark hair—with streaks of gray around his face—off his broad shoulders and opened his arms to engulf Tessa within them. The squeeze forced a groan out of her.

“Tessa, love, it’s wonderful to see you,” he said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

Tessa’s face got hot, especially once she spied Skylar’s amused expression out of the corner of her eye. Tessa pushed herself free of her father’s embrace.

“You came too, Da?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said. “Do you know one of the wheels on your wheelie bin is broken?”

Tessa averted her eyes from Skylar. “I’ll ring the owner and let him know.”

“This being London and all, I thought it would be more efficient. How can a city this large have broken wheels on wheelie bins? It’s not right.”

“Jim,” Mary Ann cut across him. “Maybe we don’t have to worry about the wheelie bin just now.”

Jim’s brow furrowed. “No?”

Mary Ann jerked her head toward Skylar. Jim started, as if only realizing she was in the room, despite having walked by her to get to Tessa. Skylar offered a polite wave.

Tessa heaved a sigh. “Ma, Da, this is—”

“Mary Ann, you won’t believe this!” a third newcomer cried, which Tessa immediately recognized as her grandfather, Colm. The full head of white hair and signature green cardigan were unmistakable. He came shuffling out of Niamh’s bedroom, carrying a framed photo. “Tessa’s flatmate’s got kin in Derry! Look here, it’s Eamon O’Hartigan’s wain, the footballer!”

“Is she now?” Mary Ann gasped and swept over to gaze at the photo. “Ach, so she is!”

“Granda!” Tessa cried, her skin pricking with humiliation. Not only had her grandfather gone through her new flatmate’s things, Skylar was there as a witness. She thought she heard a giggle, but it was quickly snuffed out.

Colm lifted his gaze to meet Tessa’s. “Did you know your flatmate had—”

“Yes, Granda, I knew!” Tessa said, exasperated. “But you can’t go rummaging through her room! That’s private!”

He waved her off. “It’s high time you were rid of that English girl. I never did like her. She had a fella’s name.”

Tessa heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Billie and I are still best friends, Granda. And she moved out over a year ago when she got engaged.”

“Tessa was about to introduce us to someone, Da,” Mary Ann said, placing a hand on Colm’s shoulder.

Tessa cleared her throat. “Aye, well. I hadn’t exactly planned on you all being here, but this is Skylar. Skylar, this is my ma, Mary Ann, my da, Jim, and my granda, Colm.”

Her family turned eyes on Skylar, who had pressed her lips together to keep from bursting into laughter. She took a breath and smiled.

“Are you Irish, Skylar?” Colm asked.

Skylar shook her head. “No, sir, I’m English.”

Colm huffed. “Christ, but this place is crawling with them.”

“Aye, it’s wall to wall English out there,” Mary Ann agreed.

“We are in England, love,” Jim reminded her.

“Siding with the colonizers, are you, Jim?” Colm barked.

“No, Colm, just reminding you we are on their land.”

“And they’ve been on ours for centuries. See if I care that they’re unhappy I’m here!”

“No one is unhappy that you’re here,” Skylar interjected.

“Speak for yourself,” Tessa muttered. “Skylar, I’m sorry, but could you give me some time with my family? I’ll text you later.”

“Understood,” Skylar said with a smile. “Looking forward to seeing you again, Tessa.”

With a wink, she left, and Tessa closed the door behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again to brace herself for her family once more.

“Well,” she began. “I can’t say I was expecting a family reunion.”

“We’re only trying to be here for you once we heard Jamie was back in town,” Mary Ann said gently.

“London’s a big city, Ma. It’s not as if we’re neighbors,” Tessa said. “I’m fine.”

“Still, it can’t be easy, love,” Jim said. “We know how much she meant to you.”

She debated telling them that Jamie was Niamh’s teammate, and that they had already seen each other. In this flat, too. But she didn’t want them any more worried than they were. Especially considering the concern on their faces as they stared at her.

“Skylar seems nice,” Jim continued. “Pretty, too.”

“Aye, she’s decent, but why does she have to be English?” Colm said. “Surely, there are nice, pretty Irish lesbians about. Catholic too, if you can swing it.”

Already, Tessa was trying to form a message to Skylar to even half explain what she’d witnessed in the flat, but it was difficult to describe her family with words. Perhaps Skylar was a mistake in the first place, and her family’s appearance had been divine intervention that stopped her from doing something she’d regret. As much as she wanted to put Jamie out of her mind, it wasn’t right to use someone else to do that.

“Aye, Granda, I’m sure there are Irish Catholic lesbians to be found somewhere,” she said. “Let me put the kettle on and we’ll all talk.”

“Already done,” Mary Ann said, leading the way back to the kitchen.

“I simply refuse to believe that their lesbians are better than our lesbians,” Colm went on as they all filed in behind her.

“I don’t think there’s a ranking of the quality of each country’s lesbians, Colm,” Jim said.

“There should be,” Colm said gruffly.

Tessa rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long afternoon, indeed.

Eventually, Tessa did confess to her family that she and Jamie had a confrontation at the house warming. She left out her thoughts about how good Jamie looked dressed as Posh Spice, though. Only that nothing had changed.

“Ach, love,” Mary Ann said, sympathy in her voice as she took Tessa’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry.”

Tessa shook her head, tired of the pitying expressions from everyone around her. “I’ll be fine, Ma. Honest.”

She wondered if she should tell her mother about the past lives too. Did Mary Ann even believe in such a thing? Tessa wasn’t sure. But she witnessed such a strong love from her parents, there was no way they weren’t soulmates too. Was it their first time? Or had they loved each other in several lifetimes? Did you only get a second chance if the first one didn’t work out? Tessa didn’t know the rules, but perhaps she could pay Lila another visit and find out.

“You’re always fine, Tessa,” Mary Ann said, drawing her daughter from her thoughts. “I want you to be blissfully happy.”

Tessa swallowed, unsure if it was possible for her without Jamie. “I’m sure I will be.”

The lie sat bitterly on her mouth hours later as she got ready for bed. Her family had gone to their hotel and Niamh was in her own room, presumably asleep after a long day at training. Tessa pushed the clothes hanging in her closet to the side and crouched down, her right arm extended. After shoving a few pairs of shoes aside, she found it. An old England National Team jumper Jamie had left there after their breakup.

Tessa pulled it in close to her chest, bringing the collar up to her face and inhaling deeply. A faint trace of Jamie’s scent lingered, and it was enough for Tessa’s eyes to well up, flooded with memories of their time together. Jamie holding her close as they drifted to sleep. Jamie laughing as they watched a movie on the couch. Jamie coming up behind her and wrapping her up in a hug as they prepared dinner.

Tessa sniffled. No matter what she told herself, the truth was she wasn’t over Jamie. And knowing what she did about their past lives, she was certain she never would be.