"You two aren't trying to do a Hartford Convention in here are you? Going to try and break off from me?" Niamh dropped her bags on the floor and pulled a chair out from underneath the table and sat in it backwards.She took in their faces; Niall's was blushing and avoiding her strong gaze while her mother took a deep breath as if preparing to drop a bomb on her.

     " We don't understand...why you don't remember Joseph. From when you were a little girl."

     "Well why would I?" Niamh shook her head.She snapped her fingers as she recalled the conversation she had with him during the week." You know what, he said you two knew each other from way back when. From high school right?"

   "He and I dated."

    "Dated! You're kidding me...how come you've never told me? " Niamh exclaimed.

   " It's not often you hear me talking about men-"

    "You've got to be shitting me! Don't tell me that's why you've been so pissy.." Niamh laughed incredulously.

    "This isn't exactly a joking matter Nia." Niall spoke up.

   "That's it! It has to be it." Niamh had a good gut holding laugh at what she thought was the true reason for the ill feelings among them.

    " Niamh it wasn't like one of your relationships. It actually lasted a long time and holds some importance; I don't appreciate you laughing so much."

   Niamh immediately stopped laughing, upset at her mother's stab at her. She had no desire to go ape shit crazy at it, so she licked her lips and cleared her throat.

   " If this has been the case all along, I just want to point out how much of a waste of time and energy it was. You could've talked to me about it mama. Yes, I haven't had a man before, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of empathizing with you and trying to understand where you're coming from."

    " Now Niamh, don't take everything to heart please."Niall begged. He could hear the change of tone in her voice and wanted to put out the flame before it engulfed her.

   " You know what? It's really hard to with the sly remarks. They really aren't necessary all of the time."

   " You make me sick Niamh." Lorraine stood up from her seat, leaving her kids at the table." I thought you said you didn't want to keep up with this when you got home."

    "How do I make you sick? I sure as hell didn't want to do this when I got back. In fact it officially ends now. Done." Niamh slammed the chair to the floor as she stood up quickly following her mother around as Lorraine put on her jacket and searched for her car keys.

     " I am going to go back there, and lay in my bed, and not walk around with my lip jutted out. You can do that if you want to mama, but I'm done with the crap. Whenever you're really ready to talk to me-without the bullshit-I'm all ears. I can see you want to say something, but you won't." Lorraine turned around standing almost nose to nose with Niamh.

     "You don't know a damn thing-"

     "And that's the fucking problem!Shit what do you expect me to do? I can't help it if he dropped you, if that's what happened. Don't be so bitter over it."

     Niamh's cheek stung from the opened hand slap Lorraine hit her with. In all her years, Niamh had never been hit by her mother, especially not in her face. There was a slight ringing in her ear from the strength behind the slap. Her natural instinct to retaliate against being attacked simmered down when it all clicked that the person who hit her was her own mother. Lorraine's face showed the strain she held behind her eyes as she drew her lips together, keeping her words locked in.

     Her mother walked out of the apartment without saying a word leaving Niall and Niamh alone.

      "Niamh..." He approached his sister cautiously. She hadn't made any movement; not even a blink.He stood in front of her, looking into her clouded eyes as they stared off into the distance. He laid his hands on her shoulders and brought her face to rest against his own. He patted the curly mass on top of her head, feeling her tremble as warm wet spots formed on his shirt.

       " Don't cry Nia. Mama really thinks that what she says is for the best. Joseph ...Joseph let people influence his actions, and they ended up breaking Mama's heart. She's hardened towards him, who wouldn't? She's only loved him you know? She was a girl when they were in love. She entered into a relationship with him and ended up with something she never would've expected. He...he's an okay guy, but is just so wrapped up in a sick business that there is no way of undoing all that he has been a part of."

      " Where do I fit in to all of this?" Niamh croaked through her tears.

      " I think she let you admire him from afar because of how honestly happy you were to learn about him. I don't think she would have seen him coming back around in a million years. He's too close for comfort for her now."

      " I can't quit this internship Niall. It pays. Plus this is all I have ever seen myself doing, but why keep it if there's going to be a riff between us. Am I supposed to drop it all? I love her more than a job, but is it smart to snip this now?" Niall wiped her face on his t-shirt sleeve and looked up at him.

     " Can you live out this fantasy just for this once? End it with the internship? You only have a few weeks left, maybe you and Mama can talk it out, let her know that it won't be for long. It could put her at a better peace of mind if she knows it's nothing permanent. You could get involved with another company Niamh, but just not this one." He spoke gently knowing that this subject could be tense. When he had found out that he had to sit out a full season of basketball because of an injury, he was devastated. He knew that basketball wouldn't be his lifelong career like Niamh saw architecture as. He also knew that at any time he could quit willingly whenever he pleased which wouldn't be possible for Niamh if she were to become a real employee with the Kincaids.

     Niamh's knees buckled as she shook her head ‘no'. "You don't get it Niall. I will never get this chance again. You're almost too old to be signed back overseas, you know that there are other options for you out there, but not me! I didn't prepare for anything else in life but this. It can set me up for good Niall, we won't have to live in this small place anymore if only getting to that point could be less stressful at home. Why is it so hard? I'm trying to make the best for all of us."

      " If you were chosen by such a high ranking company, I'm sure you could get into any in the city. In the state." Niall tried to convince her in a less harsh way by encouraging her confidence in her skills." Anyone would die to have you."

      " Kincaid Apex isn't just anyone Niall. They're the only one. If I quit now than I'm trashing all of my effort put into this. I've nearly perfected being a fangirl for them, I need to be in on the real thing now." Niamh pulled away from her brother and went to pick up her bags.

     " What if it's not all that it's cracked up to be?" Niall didn't have the heart to reveal to her what she was getting into. Would he rather break his sister heart, or have someone else do it? He wasn't so sure.

      "Let me find out on my own." Niamh began her trudge back to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.