May was beautiful, the weather improved and every living thing was in bloom. The boys spent quite a bit of time at the cycle park and tried out new trails as they opened. They also rode rough terrain trails and except for the occasional puncture, there were no problems with the bikes.
Danny's evening pottery class was really having an effect as were his piano lessons. He now played difficult pieces quite well. His teacher used the word 'natural' to describe his abilities.
Like Danny's class, Liam's luthier class was drawing to a close for the year. Mr. Carter told him he would be offering an advanced course the next year and Liam should plan on having more adults looking over his shoulder for that class.
The boys, Connor and Terri all sat in the living room chatting.
"Do you lads have any plans for the summer?" Connor inquired.
"Just cycling, swimming and busking for me," Liam replied.
"I'd like to visit a few of the potteries nearby and maybe set up a wheel in the shed. There's nothing in it and there's a faucet just outside," Danny piped.
"I think we can get that done but we'll want to put in a slab and drying rack," Connor expanded. There's room in the garage for a kiln, but we have a proposal you may be interested in."
"We thought that once you were out of school we would all take a trip. We're thinking Washington D.C. and then up to Maryland to visit the Powell's, Terri explained. From there we would fly to Dublin and do some touring. It will be my last opportunity to fly for a while before your brothers arrive."
"That sounds pretty good to me Mom, I can get a wheel when we get back. Are you going to have someone in to convert the guest room to a nursery?" Danny asked.
"Danny, I think yas missed somethin', Mam, did you say brothers?" Liam pressed.
"I did, we received the results yesterday. The sonogram shows two babies and the amniotic test shows they are both boys, but not identical," Terri responded.
"How did I miss that?!" Danny yipped.
"Mam buried the lead, but yer getting' what you wanted times two," Liam grinned. "That's great news Mam, it'll be loud and smelly for a while but we'll cope."
Danny was already on his feet hugging Terri, his eyes streamed with happy tears and Liam joined the fray as did Connor.
"Will we have time to visit Shan while we're in Dublin?" Liam asked.
"My life would be worthless if we didn't, besides she's got you lads lined up to play with a local ceilidh band," Connor grinned.
"So she knows we're coming to visit. She'll have instruments we can use," Liam speculated.
Connor agreed, "I'm sure she will, you can give her a bell and double check."
The next day the boys had their photos taken for passports.
Connor and Terri printed the forms and stopped at the Post Office to have the applications processed. Liam's was a renewal although Danny had never had a passport, but there was plenty of time to get it done. Terri had taken care of her passport when she hired on with Connor's firm, mostly because it simplified air travel. She hadn't been called on to travel outside the U.S. on business but it was a possibility.
Two weeks later the new documents arrived in the mail, neither boy liked their photo but it was a minor issue.
May slipped by and all of the boys' friends were excited for them because of the trip and the imminent twins.
Liam asked curiously, "Da, how are we getting from Mount Airy to New York?"
"We're not, we'll fly into Ronald Reagan and take a train to Baltimore after you've seen the museums. Then we'll fly from BWI to Dublin after we've seen the Powells," Connor explained.
"What airline?" Liam countered.
"Either Aer Lingus or British Air, whichever fits our time frame. Any other questions?" Connor grinned.
"No, I just like to know the details," Liam replied thoughtfully.
Danny and Liam spent that afternoon at the gym honing their self-defense skills; it was hard work and the matches were very tough. But full contact made sure they would go all out if they ever needed to. Danny was no longer a beginner, he had really taken to the training and Gavin had told him he should be able to hold his own against anyone at school, big or small.
Liam and Danny cycled over to watch T.J. and Artie while their parents went to a show together. Although they were both quite lively, they minded well and enjoyed their favorite sitters. Bath time was lots of fun if a bit messy. The battle started when they tried to get the little guys dressed. Tickle torture had to be employed but eventually both little boys were in their pajamas. Danny and Liam taught them songs and told stories until little eyes and heads drooped. They each carried one to the bed and tucked them in with kisses.
At ten, the two dads returned and decided to leave the kids where they lay. Duane drove Liam and Danny home. Connor would drop them by the next day to claim their bikes.
They turned the retrieval into a trip to the cycle park and then had lunch at one of the food trucks in the parking lot. By the time they returned home, they were quite filthy and hungry yet again. They were both growing quickly after all. Liam had only had three months use of his last pair of shoes. He was taller and broader in the chest. His voice had dropped a bit and stabilized. It sounded strange emanating from a twelve year old boy. Danny was just starting to crack when he sang high notes. They worked together to find acceptable ranges Danny could use. Brian's voice had also stabilized and he hoped it would behave for a while. He thanked Liam regularly for guiding him through the difficult ordeal. Brian had also learned the tenor banjo and ukulele since they are tuned identically. He thought he might just try the guitar class next year. Liam promised to set him up with a nice guitar if that's what he wanted to do.
They had been watching baseball practice and Calvin was standing on top of the nearest dugout cheering on a friend. A broken bat foul drive caught Calvin in the crotch and Brian cleared the bleachers in a single leap and ran to his love. Calvin had gone fetal and Brian scooped him up, carried him all the way to the nurse's office where cold packs were available. Liam gathered Brian and Calvin's things and followed behind.
"Look Calvin, I know it's embarrassing but you have to let the nurse have a look," Brian urged.
"Okay, if you say it's necessary but I feel like I'm going to crap myself, and I went an hour ago," Calvin replied.
"That's not unusual, dear," Nurse Halford offered. "It's a common sensation in your type of injury."
Liam arrived with both Brian and Calvin's gear plus his own.
"If you'll give us a moment, we'll get his Levis off and you can check him then," Brian suggested.
"Certainly, I'll be close by when you're ready."
The nurse left the room to retrieve a couple of cold packs and Brian and Liam helped Calvin out of his jeans. Brian grabbed Calvin's bag and retrieved his gym shorts and slid them up Calvin's legs but left his groin exposed for examination.
"Does it look bad?" Calvin asked fearfully.
"It's all purple and swollen but there's no blood or anything. Let me cover you with the blanket until the nurse gets back," Brian advised.
The nurse returned and put on gloves, checking to learn if there were any obvious injuries to the testes. She found both were the proper shape and asked Brian to help Calvin dress.
Calvin's mother was called to pick him up and Brian never left his side. The cold pack stuffed in his briefs presented an interesting profile but after half an hour, Calvin felt strong enough to walk to the car. Brian guided Calvin while Liam managed the packs and gym bags. Calvin would need an examination before he could return to school but he was already feeling better.
"Well that was interesting," Liam told Danny as he approached the curbside.
"What happened to Calvin? A girl said he got hit by a ball," Danny chirped.
He was on top of the dugout and caught a hot foul in the wedding tackle. Brian carried him to the nurse. I helped get him out of his jeans and it wasn't pretty. But he's feeling better now that he's got a cold pack on his bits," Liam explained.
"Brian must be pretty strong, Calvin is older than us but he's not even as big as me. I forget he's older because he acts… well, younger," Danny observed.
"That's true enough, Calvin is a free spirit for sure. I kind of like it and I know Brian does," Liam agreed.
Terri arrived and collected the boys; Liam had called her to let her know what was happening so she had waited to leave until he called again.
On the way home, they discussed Calvin, Brian and the family's upcoming trip to the Powell's and Ireland.
Once home Terri handed each boy a packet. Inside they found their passports and passport cards. Those could be used for trips to Canada or Mexico where a full passport isn't needed.
Neither of the boys was particularly impressed with the photo but it would serve the purpose so they shrugged it off.
"May is just zooming by Mam, will we be ready by the end of school?" Liam inquired.
"Yes, I'm sure of it. Your Da has a friend in Dublin booking B&B's and hired cars. We'll be spending the first night with your Shan and then motoring on from there, does that sound exciting?" Terri provided.
"It sounds grand Mam, what about D.C. and Maryland?" Danny asked, joining the conversation.
"A car will meet us at Reagan International and take us to the hotel. We had planned to take a train to Baltimore but there's scheduled maintenance that will interfere with that. So your Da has a charter to take us from D.C. to Baltimore and Jim Powell will meet us there," Terri explained further.
"It sounds like you and Da have everything planned.
The pace only quickened after that, Memorial Day came and went and June tenth and report cards marked the end of the school year. Liam and Danny both received straight A's. The teacher notes indicated that both boys were excellent students and would be saluted at the final assembly. Also at the final assembly, Brian received a citation for most improved student with all A's and B's up from a C average. He received a second citation for his care of an injured fellow student. Thankfully, for Calvin's sake it didn't identify the student or the circumstances. Cheri received honors for her grades and her charity work. She had another year at McAuliffe before she went on to high school.
Mr. Levi spoke about the work that Liam had done with the guitar class and his community outreach in repairing and distributing guitars to potential students. He also pointed out that through his example many students had shared their musical heritage with the rest of the student body. Liam received plenty of back pats from his fellow students. Most of the students knew him or knew of him.
Todd and Darren collared Danny and Liam outside the auditorium. The school was emptying quickly but the boys each wanted to visit their teachers and wish them a fine summer break.
"We're going to miss you guys this summer. It won't be the same without you two," Todd croaked with emotion.
"We'll be back at the end of July so there will be plenty of August to spend together," Liam soothed.
"You're spending the Fourth in Ireland? No fireworks or anything?" Darren queried.
"On the Fourth, we'll be in New Ross, county Wexford. They have a Fourth celebration because it's Irish American day. I'm told there are similar celebrations in other countries like Italy and Norway, plenty of others, too."
"Oh yeah, because of all the immigration, right?" Darren added.
"Right you are lad," Liam confirmed.
"My sister and all her scabby friends are going to Cheer camp for six weeks, she won't be back until the end of July. That means Todd and I can hang out at our pool. She got her ass in a wringer with Dad a while back and it will give him time to cool down. I just have to be careful not to make the same mistake," Darren expanded.
"What did she do, I thought your dad was in her pocket?" Danny asked.
"Unauthorized pool party with boys and some of the girls were topless. The security cameras caught it all. Plus they were drinking and smoking weed, not my sister but some of her guests were. I was at Todd's and she had the party the night Mom and Dad left for the airport. Dad didn't review the recordings until two days after they got back. I got home from school Wednesday and Dad suggested I hang out in my room or go back to Todd's for a while," Darren finished.
"Whoa, I'm surprised they let her go to camp, but it was probably already planned and paid for," Liam speculated.
"Yeah, and there's not a penis within twenty miles. The whole area belongs to a convent. There's a dress code and everything. All the stuff my sister would hate," Darren crowed.
Liam, Danny and Todd laughed along with Darren. It seemed like a fitting torture for his rather unpleasant sibling.
"Shawna will be hating life for sure. You should see the bathing suit they have to wear. It's a one piece with a skirt. I almost feel sorry for her… nah! Todd giggled.
"I'm going to buy some rubbers and porn to slip into her suitcase before she leaves. The nuns will love that stuff, oh and maybe a vibrator too," Darren schemed.
"I know someone who would buy them, you can buy the rubbers but you have to be eighteen to get the other stuff," Todd countered.
"Yeah, maybe that's going too far, I'll have to think about it," Darren relented.
"Yas know, the nuns might call yer Mam or Da to report her and it could bounce back at you," Liam cautioned.
"Yeah, you're right, but it was fun to think about. But in spite of everything I don't really hate her," Darren admitted.
"Now yer talkin' sense Darren, maybe she'll learn somethin' from this experience and act a bit better," Liam counseled.
"Yeah, it's actually been kinda cool since she can't bring the bitch nation home with her every damn day, we've actually gotten along pretty well," Darren allowed. "Yeah, you're right. I'll leave it alone, anything she gets in trouble for will be on her."
On the way home Danny asked Liam, "What's a ringer?"
"What do you mean?" Liam puzzled.
"Darren said his sister got her ass in a wringer, is that some kind of bell?"
"No ya silly bugger, a wringer is two rollers that wring the water out of wet laundry so's you can hang it on the line," Liam chuckled.
Danny giggled at the mental image. He had never actually seen a wringer in use.
Since Connor was a preapproved passenger, he talked with the official at check in about bringing his family in the same security line.
"That shouldn't be a problem Sir, just make sure they have their own boarding passes and ID," the man said as he handed the four boarding passes to Connor.
The security detail cleared them through and they went to the VIP lounge for first class passengers to snack and wait for the call to board. They each had minimal carryon bags. Charger cords and earbuds for their phones, a book or two and favorite snacks purchased at the news stand. Connor had a laptop that was new and he planned to use it for the vacation. There was no sensitive work info on any of the drives and Connor had instructed his partner and employees not to send anything sensitive to his personal email he had set up for the trip. If needed he could get a secure line at the U.S. Embassy.
The boarding call finally came and all the first class passengers walked to the gate. Boarding passes were checked and the family was shown to the four seats that were assigned and they made themselves comfortable.
Liam allowed Danny to sit in the window seat since he had never flown before. The flight attendants were pleasant and asked about the boys' plans for D.C.
Before long the plane was in the air, it shot out over the Pacific and made a wide swinging turn to the east.
"Are those sharks or whales down there?" Danny asked Liam.
"Are their tails moving side to side?" Liam asked.
"Yes, of course… that makes them sharks," Danny grinned.
Cloud cover rendered the landscape unviewable so Danny joined Liam and played a game on his phone. After a while, boredom took its toll and both boys surrendered to a nap.
The next four hours passed quickly, it would be 12:30 p.m. their time but 3:30 p.m. in D.C. when they arrived. Perhaps a bit earlier thanks to favorable winds.
They were first off the plane and made their way to the carousel and picked up their luggage. A man in a suit held up a sign that read 'Dennehy'.
Connor spoke to the man and verified the company and his name.
"I'll bring the car around, Sir, and then we can load the luggage and get you and your family to your hotel," Will affirmed pleasantly.
The hotel was very nice, they were checked in and shown to their suite. From the balcony, they could see the Washington Monument. Shuttles would take them to the Metro Subway. They all had a smart trip card which was reloadable. Connor had seen to that. Connor discussed safety and what to do if they were separated from the group. They were each given a card with the hotel's address and warned not to use unlicensed cabs.
Once they were settled in, Connor suggested a trip to the pool and the boys were quite happy to oblige. Connor wore shorts, a loose shirt and ball cap.
The pool area was popular but not crowded. Most of the swimmers were kids of various ages. Connor scoped out the adults to see if anyone was paying a bit too much attention to the kids. No one looked suspicious so he relaxed and read his book.
Terri had opted for a nap since she had not slept on the plane. When a man asked if the lounge chair next to Connor was taken, Connor invited him to sit. An eight year old boy appeared and handed him a small bag and the man pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and applied it to the boy's ears, shoulders and back.
"That ought to keep him safe for a while, my name's Owen," the man offered, "and that was my son, Paul."
"I'm Connor and the two lads in the deep end are mine, they're Liam and Danny. Their ma is up havin' a nap" Connor replied.
"Paul's too, he's about to be a big brother, it appears we'll be having a little girl to spoil soon," Owen shared.
"My wife is expecting too, twins. They're both boys but not identical. She's just a bit tired from the flight in," Connor replied.
"Four boys under one roof? You're a brave man Connor," Owen cheered.
A commotion at the poolside caught their attention, Owen was up like a shot with Connor close behind. Liam was lifting Paul up to Danny who had scrambled out ahead. Paul was coughing but seemed okay.
"He was chasing a ball and got in a little too deep. We thought we had better help him get out and clear his airway. I think he inhaled a little water," Liam explained.
"Thanks boys, he was supposed to stay where he could touch his feet but it's easy to get in over your head during a game," Owen replied. He wrapped a towel around his son and took him back to sit with him for a while.
"I didn't get that much water, but I was coughing and it's hard to swim at the same time," Paul explained to his dad.
"Are you lads okay?" Connor asked.
"I think we're good Da, we'd like to continue for a bit if it's okay with you," Liam chirped.
"That's fine lads, good work helpin' the little lad," Connor praised.
"I'm glad we were there," Danny put in and jumped back into the pool.
Connor found Paul asleep on Owen's chest when he returned to the lounger.
"Is that an Irish accent I'm hearing?" Owen asked.
"Dublin, it's never shifted although I can't say I've tried that hard. My Liam has the same, and I've only just married Daniel's mother back in March. This is our first big trip as a family," Connor informed him.
"Sounds like quite an adventure, I haven't had a vacation in quite a while and it will be impossible for some time once the baby arrives," Owen acknowledged.
"Same with us, although we did go to Dublin for our honeymoon," Connor shared.
"I had to use some time or it would fall off the books. Our department has had a manpower crunch lately and it wasn't possible for people of my rank to go and play," Owen disclosed.
"Law enforcement?" Connor asked.
"Yeah, Lincoln County Nebraska. I'm a captain. Our former Sheriff was most of the problem. He was trying to militarize the department and the guys didn't like it. We have a reaction team and that's enough. We don't need a big city type force. North Platte is the biggest city and it's only twenty-four thousand people. It's mostly railroad and agriculture with a bit of light manufacturing. There are shipping hubs because of the I-80 going through. Not real exciting but stuff does happen occasionally."
"It sounds nice, Nebraska gets pretty cold during the winter doesn't it?" Connor inquired.
"Usually three months of ice and snow but our spring makes it worth it," Owen replied. "What kind of work do you do?"
"I own most of a small engineering firm in California near L.A., we're doing quite well. We specialize in new materials and their uses. I can't say a lot about what we do because of the proprietary nature and some other concerns," Connor offered.
"Understood, I could probably guess but I won't," Owen smiled.
"Aaah, here are my soggy lads," Connor chuckled as he threw towels at Liam and Danny.
"Da would it be alright to order some chips from room service, Mam might like a few herself," Liam requested.
"I think that would be good, it will hold you over until dinner. We'll get some drinks from the machine down here. It's a fountain with cups so you can have ice," Connor informed them.
"How about you Paul, did you work up an appetite?" Owen asked.
"Paul grinned and said, "Nuggets."
Owen laughed, "Well, let's head for the counter and get us some nuggets."
Paul stood and faced Danny and Liam, "Thanks for helping me in the pool."
"Yer quite welcome mate, we've all had a moment or two like that," Liam smiled.
Paul toddled off with Owen after both had said goodbye. The three of them walked to the soda fountain and got drinks and Connor drew one for Terri. Connor used the house phone to order three orders of fries and some onion rings. The small group ambled to the elevator and back up to the suite. Fifteen minutes later the food arrived and Connor stirred Terri with a tantalizing onion ring.
"Did you guys have fun?" Terri asked.
"It seems so, the lads recued a boy who was having trouble and I sat and chatted with his da. Owen's his name and Paul is his son. They seem quite nice. His wife is pregnant with a little girl," Connor reported.
"Is the boy okay?" Terri pressed.
"He's fine, he took a nap on his da while Owen and I chatted," Connor assured her.
"Danny, you seem a bit pink, did you use sunscreen?" Terri said maternally.
"I did, Liam put it on when we changed, I feel fine," Danny protested.
"Okay dear, I worry because you burn so easily," Terri soothed.
They all munched happily and eventually the boys opted for a nap.
"I think I'd like to go down and dangle my toes in the water, will you come along? I'll probably need help getting up," Terri laughed.
"Yer not that big yet, but I'll go with yas all the same," Connor agreed.
Terri changed and down they went, they found Owen and Laurel doing the same thing. Most of the kids were gone and the noise level was quite a bit lower.
"Well, I was just telling Laurel about you, I hear you're sporting twin boys," Owen greeted.
"Hi, I'm Terri, this is my husband, Connor," Terri responded.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Laurel and this is Owen. So when are you due?"
"Mid-October, this is my last hurrah for a while. And you?"
"August fifteenth and it will be as hot and humid as possible." Laurel groused playfully. "At least I have built in servants".
"Same here, I expect that Connor's Mom will make time to visit as soon as they're born and Liam and Danny are such helpful boys. Liam can cook like a chef and he's got Danny learning too," Terri bragged a bit.
"Paul's a little young to turn loose in the kitchen but my sis lives close by. I doubt if I'll need that much help. I was vacuuming the day after Paul was born. I'm not the type that can sit still for very long. I only took a nap this afternoon because a woman behind me was droning on about her daughter's personal problems. She had one of those piercing voices. Finally the attendant asked her to quiet down because the whole plane could hear her. By then I was too annoyed to sleep," Laurel complained.
"I don't know how people can do that," Terri grumbled. "To air your linen in public like that is just rude."
"Oh, I meant to say thanks to your sons for getting Paul out of the pool. Poor little guy, he was so embarrassed. He's a really good swimmer but he inhaled some water and had a coughing fit. I'm so grateful to your boys, you know these two will be in safe hands," Laurel extolled.
The two women discussed their boys for quite a while until Owen and Laurel excused themselves; they were meeting friends for dinner.
They all said goodbye and Connor and Terri went up to rouse the boys for dinner.