Seamus and I watched him reach the top and him disappear. He and I looked at each other then broke out into uncontrollable laughter. “I don' be thinkin I ‘ave ever seen ‘im get up the stairs that fast,” he said in between laughs.

“Well, all I can think of is they seem like they are going to have some fun,” I answered back. We both sat and laughed for another several minutes and then we grew silent again. We both sat there and looked around the room. I stood up after a few minutes and walked over to what looked like a CD player. I picked up a few of the CDs and read the names of the songs. “I’m not familiar with this country's music. What is your favorite?” I asked him turning around and showing him the CDs.

“Press play on the player an choose track five. That be a song me mother an father used to listen to after I was supposed to be in me bed,” he told me with a small smile. I turned around and did what he said. I turned the volume down low just as a sweet melody with fiddles and flutes were birthed from the CD player. He and I sat there and looked at one another as the music played its magical tune. He stood up and walked over toward me. He took my hands and put them around his neck. “I can’t dance,” I said a bit embarrassed.

“Don worry. I don be knowin ‘ow either,” he said as he put his hands on my waist. We began to sway back and forth. We both just sat and stared in each others eyes. Both of us just let the music take control. He kept drawing me closer and closer. Soon we both could not get any closer. It was at that moment that I knew that I no longer only thought of Seamus as a friend or a relationship partner. I needed him. When I was with him I no longer felt the fear of my past. He made me feel safe.

It was not just Seamus that made me feel this way either. It was this entire family. I had not just found people to care about. I had that in the orphanage. I had found a new family. I loved everyone in it. I took my head off of Seamus’s shoulder and looked him deeply in the eyes. “Seamus,” I said and paused. “I love you. I love your family. These few days I have spent with all of you has reminded me what it felt like to have a family,” I said. I felt the tears prick the edge of my eyes. He stared back at me wide eyed.

“Only in me deepest hopes would I ‘ear those words from anyone. From the moment I saw ye I knew I wanted ye to be the one to say em. Irean I love ye. I never be wantin ye to be away from me,” he replied back. I let the tears flow from my eyes as he touched his lips to mine. His hands held my face as he kissed me. My knees felt like jelly so I leaned on him.

We let the music continue to play as we continued to sway and hold each other. By the time we both decided to go to bed the clock had struck half past twelve. Like the night before he had walked me to my door kissed me goodnight and left. That night I had the most peaceful sleep I could ever remember.