Just Can't Let You Go

Currently helping my grandmother in the garden, I stood up for a moment and saw Evy and Logan on the porch coloring. When Evy looked up, she smiled and waved, causing me to return the smile and wave. "Break is over, Beathan," Mimi said, causing me to look at her and then immediately get back to work.

It was a rather warm day for Belfast, so I was sweating like mad. Removing my shirt, I rolled it up and threw it at the porch, hitting Logan dead center in the face. "That's so gross!" he screamed, throwing the shirt to the ground and looking at me. I smiled apologetically and got back to work.

Time Elapse

Once everyone had eaten lunch, we all decided to go for a leisurely stroll around town. I ran into some old friends I had hung out with when I was younger, and even saw the guys from back in Galway. Mimi had told me to go with them, but I refused, telling her I needed to spend my time here with her. She smiled gently and squeezed my hand.

"You don't want to spend time with an old woman, Beathan," she said, causing me to smile at her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders before I replied.

"I do, too. Like you said, it's been twenty years, and we both know that's far too long not to see one another, even though I'm the one at fault." She hugged me close before we let go and continued walking.

"Daddy! Daddy!" I heard Evelyn call out. I turned around and saw her charging at me with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Bookstore!" I looked at her quizzically before she pointed the direction in which she came from. I saw Logan coming out of the door and looking for Evy.

"Go on, deary. I've got to talk with the butcher anyway. I'll be there shortly," Mimi said, pushing me towards the bookstore. I nodded and we made our way to where Logan was. He looked angry and scared.

"She didn't tell you she was leaving, did she?" I asked, causing Logan to shake his head. "Evy. You can't be doing that to Logan. He's not used to your antics yet."

"You allow her to run off without your knowledge?" Logan exclaimed, causing others to look at us in curiosity.

"Not as often as you think. She's a very sneaky little girl. She's much like me when it comes to that kind of thing. Don't believe me, ask Anya. She's got some great stories," I said, causing Logan to walk off in anger. I shrugged and told Evelyn to show me what books she wanted and she took me to the exact spot.

She grabbed a total of six different books, three of which were in Gaelic/Celtic language. "I know you can speak it. I remember you singing a song in the language and I wanted to learn how to speak it," she said, causing me to smile. "This is all I want."

We made our way towards the counter just as the door opened and Mimi came in. "Beathan, Ròs. Where's Logan?" she asked curiously. I shrugged as I put the books down on the counter.

"He was upset that I wasn't angry with Evy taking off on him. I know he's just worried something would happen to her, but I know she never runs off on anyone unless there are three or more people in the group aside from her," I said, paying for the books and grabbing the bag, handing it to Evelyn. "He's just not used to the antics as much as I am. She's a smart girl."

"That doesn't mean let her do it, Beathan. When you did it, you got whipped. Remember?" I nodded and looked down at Evelyn who was looking at both of us curiously. "Ròs, next time you decide to run off from either your father or Logan, you're not going to have access to anything but the corner of a wall. Understand?"

"You can't tell me --" she started, becoming cut off by Mimi.

"Oh, child, yes I can. I may not be your father or Logan, or anyone else back home, but I am your great-grandmother, meaning I have power over your father. I will know if you behave or not."

Evy looked as if she was about to cry when Logan showed up. "What's wrong, Evy?" Logan said, causing Evelyn to throw her arms around him. "What's going on?"

"Mimi is doing what she knows best. Letting an overly-pampered child know who's in charge," I said, looking at my grandmother with fear. "From here on out, Logan, if she asks for something that she truly doesn't need, tell her no."

"But--"

"Tell. Her. No. She's got to learn that she can't always have what she wants, when she wants it. It's how I was raised, too. I suppose it was the reason why I pampered her so much, because I didn't want her to be upset. Now I realize ... it was for my own good," I said, that last part coming out just over a whisper.

"So you're letting Anya here make Evy cry?" Logan said angrily. "Hurting a little girl's feelings." That did it. Grabbing my daughter from Logan's grasp, I walked out of the store. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk with my daughter alone. You may not agree with a tough-love upbringing, but that's how I was raised. I'm not changing that just because you don't like it," I called back, Evy silently crying. "Whether you're on board or not, you're not going to stop me from doing what I should have been doing the moment she was born."

I turned the corner that lead towards Mimi's house and looked down at Evelyn. "I'm sorry, honey. From here on out, if it isn't something you need, don't expect to get it right then and there." She nodded, not saying a word. "If Logan tries to take you from me for tough-loving, then he's gone. He's not going to tell me how to raise my own child."