Matthew sat in a corner behind the bar, tossing an empty bottle dangerously high. His head lulled as he took in the calm lunch rush in the restaurant. Not many people were looking for a quick loosening beer yet, so this shift proved to be calm.

      He checked the time on his watch, seeing the minutes decay from his break as he waited on Darla to come. Knowing her, she would purposely wait until the last possible minute to finally tell him that she had indeed arrived, making him sweat the entire time.

     Lifting from his seat, he discarded the bottle and made his way to the exit. Passing by patrons and co-workers, he braced his eyes for the sunlight beyond the dimmed doors. Scanning the parking lot and coming to the conclusion that she wasn't there, he decided to just sit tight instead of going back in. Matthew spotted a bench a few feet in front of him, and went to take a seat. Stretching his legs in front of him, a hand reached into his pocket drawing out his cell phone and a pack of cigarettes.

     " Fuck, D. Where are you?" He grumbled scratching his head and tapping the pack on the inside of his wrist. Matthew flicked the lighter hidden in the pack and lifted a stick to his mouth ready to inhale. He felt the first breath encase his air ways and the calming affect it had over him set in. Wiping a hand through the shadow casted by the sun, Matthew became comfortable and was preparing to take another inhale from his cigarette when the blaring screech of a car horn startled him. The lit end tumbled into the crook of his arm burning a red spot onto it.

     "Shit!" He groaned in pain. Biting his lip, he looked up searching for the fucker he would cuss out.

      " I know you're grown and all, but why the hell are you smoking that piece of shit?" Niamh leaned out of the driver's side window still laying her hand on the center of the steering wheel. Flicking the cigarette into a designated tray, Matthew begrudgingly walked to the expensive vehicle. Reaching into the window for her neck, he playful shook her as she fell into a fit of giggles.

      " Where the hell did this car come from?"

     "Ehh..."

     "What are you doing here?"

      " Well..."

      "Darla?" Crowding his head into the car, he finally took notice of his sister and the tray of takeout in her lap over on the passenger side. He was genuinely surprised to find them together. Looking between them, he couldn't help but notice the same heart shaped face shared between them. "What are you doing together?" He asked suspiciously.

      " I found her." Darla smiled sweetly. Niamh slapped her hand into Darla's chest and scoffed.

      " I had to drop Blaise off this morning and just so happened to run into her."

      "Huh." Matthew said contemplating.  A pull within him said that it was perfectly okay for him to feel the strong need of having both of them with him at that moment. They were his sisters. Matthew wanted to scream it out to both of them, putting everything out there so that they could raise the relationship they should have from the moment all three of them came to exist on this earth.

     " I have fifteen minutes left, come sit with me."

     " No, we have to get back, Daddy will be done any time now." Darla stated.

    " It's just fifteen minutes. You'll get back in time."

    " I have to convince him to drop me off Matty. I'm not trying to be on his heels all day while he's doing his shit." Darla looked to her brother with a stubborn frown hinting at the business that had never interested either of them.

     "D."

    "Matty."

    "Come on Darla, it won't be long." Niamh spoke up.

    "Niamh, don't let him convince you."

     "It's a business meeting, those things could go on forever. Just fifteen, twenty minutes tops."

    " Niamh has spoken." Matthew declared.

    "Oh fine you two." Darla gave in rolling her eyes. Matthew and Niamh cheered while high fiving each other eagerly.

    " Ugh, park this thing Nia." The oldest sibling laughed." Is it okay if I call you Nia?" She asked more somberly realizing that she had given a nickname to the woman who was still new to her. They all waited for a confirmation that never seemed more desired than before. When Matthew heard Niamh give her approving reply, he felt a breath release and a smile forming.

    " Alright." Tapping the car, he stepped back and watched the car pull in backwards to a parking spot. Niamh and Darla stepped out of the car and headed to a small outside eating area equipped with tables and umbrellas. Niamh shielded her eyes dramatically as she backed away from Matthew.

    "You're smile. So bright." Feeling the tight muscles in his face quiver, he toned down the smile and threw his arms over both sets of shoulders and walked to a table in the shade. Pulling out chairs for the ladies, Matthew took a seat across from them and they commenced to converse heartily.

      They spoke of everything and nothing in particular. The unknowing sisters found themselves chattily picking on Matthew. From a bystander's view, they're natural willingness to let go with one another would have been admired. It was the type of scene Niamh could once relate to that between her mother and Niall.

      Her family.

     Niamh sat back in her chair as her thoughts wandered to them.

     Many times Niamh found herself openly weeping silently in the presence of herself, cries so soft and ravaging her body would ache for hours afterwards.She couldn't call her mother's phone without hearing the sounds of her being sent straight to voicemail. She knew that all she had wanted to do was hear her speak.The reason just wasn't that clear.

     To stir up more anger for the woman.

     To settle the broken love she felt.

    To hear Lorraine admit to making a mistake. That she hadn't meant to treat Niamh the way she had. Maybe even Lorraine apologizing and taking back the words she had said in anger,  and assuring her daughter that her and Niall were not different. That they shared the same father. That Niamh was not an outsider and was the same as them through and through.

    But none of those things had happened.

   Niall called every night. Niamh would answer the phone, but never spoke a word. Her brother would contentedly talk her to sleep knowing that even if his sister refused to come around with somewhat justifiable reasons, he still had contact with her in some way. He would let the sobs choking from her weigh heavy on his heart until the sound of her breathing falling into a pattern let him know she was asleep.

      A violent gasp for air broke Niamh from her thoughts as she panted ahead of a cry. Her eyes burned with venomous tears as she attempted to regain herself.

      " What's wrong?" Matthew patted her arm as he watched with concerned eyes. Darla's face showed similar signs as she rubbed circles onto Niamh's back. As a quick save, she began coughing into her elbow pretending that she had just choked.

     " I swallowed....went down the wrong way." Her voice let out roughly. Darla released a breath of relief as she tilted her head.

     "Thank goodness. I didn't want to have to find a new spot for another body."

       "Should I be okay with what you just said?" Niamh laughed lightly at her dark humor.

        " You don't really have a choice do you."

     A cell phone alarm and ringtone went of simultaneously at their table interrupting their time together.

     " It's Blaise." Niamh said out loud as she pressed talk on her screen.

     " I have to head on back in now." Matthew crushed his Styrofoam box and stuffed it into a trashcan. Dusting his hands off on his pants, he caught Niamh by the arm as she stood up with the phone held tight to her ear.

     "You can't walk away like that." He demanded. Niamh held her hand over the phone apologetically and gave a warm hug to his middle. He gave a loud kiss to the corner of her mouth purposely so that Blaise hopefully heard.

     " You give the best kisses girl."

     " It's just Matthew...Yeah..." Niamh swatted him away and pointed to the car telling Darla that she was going to start it up.

     " Come in D, I have something I need you to give to mom." Without a fuss, Darla shrugged her shoulders and followed behind Matthew back into the bar. He looked over his shoulder as Niamh opened the car door, smiling and waving one last time before climbing in.