Free Wee Rockets by Gerard Brennan Page A

way."
    The familiar voice set her heart into overdrive. "Oh my God. No."
    Stephen turned and looked at her, angry and confused. "Do you know him?"
    The visitor took advantage of Stephen's divided attention. Louise heard a hollow thump. Stephen yelped and went down. His hands went to his lower back. Kidney punch. She winced for him. The tall, dark, kind of good looking man stepped over Stephen's writhing body and smiled at Louise. Familiar smile, fatter face. She couldn't speak. Couldn't move.
    She sensed Joe standing behind her. "What's going on?"
    "Joe? Is that you? Jesus Christ, you've fairly grown."
    "Who are you?"
    Shit, shit, shit. Don't you dare tell him. Not now.
    "I'm Dermot. Your dad. How the hell are you, Joe?"

Chapter 5
     

    Pain thrummed in Stephen's lower back. The sneaky fucker stabbed me, he thought, panicking. He held his hands up to his eyes when he could bear to open them. No blood. Thank God. His hands went back to his kidney to massage the agony. He concentrated on breathing. In. Out. In. Out. He didn't want to risk standing. Not yet. Better to wait. Wait until he was ready to hit the fucker who'd floored him. He rested his head on the laminate flooring. Dust and the ghostly scent of chemical floor cleaner tickled his nose.
    He could hear Louise.
    "... come waltzing back here whenever you feel like it? What's wrong with your head? All these years and not so much as a birthday card for your own son. You're a useless..."
    So he'd just been sucker-punched by Joe's da. Afraid to face him like a man. Sleeked bastard.
    "Louise, please," Joe's da said. His voice had a spoilt child whine to it. "Just listen to me for two minutes. Then I'll leave. Okay?"
    "You have one minute."
    "Then I don't have time to go into why I left and where I was. Just know that I had no choice. It was for the best. But that's not what I'm here for. I'm not after forgiveness. You've moved on, and I expected that. But I'm back in Belfast, probably for good. I want to get to know my son."
    "It's a bit late now," Louise said.
    "I'm trying to put things right. Don't write me off straight away. Please. Just let me leave my number. Then you can think about it and let me know. I promise you, I've changed."
    "You've changed? I just watched you force your way in here. You've been back in my life for a few seconds and already you've hurt one of my friends. You're poison, Dermot Kelly. I'd be a fool to let you near Joe."
    Dermot Kelly, Stephen thought, I'm going to break your neck for you.
    "I'm sorry I hurt your friend, but I needed to talk to you. What could I have done?"
    "Tried later, you stupid bastard!"
    Stephen almost smiled.
    "Can I leave my number?"
    Silence. Stephen looked up at Louise from the floor. Her blue eyes bulged wide and unforgiving as she glared at Dermot, hands on hips and chin raised. Two spots of red burned on her high cheekbones like geisha makeup. Joe twitched behind her, jaw hanging. Dermot held a scrap of paper out. Louise shook her head.
    "Why don't you ask Joe? He can speak for himself, you know."
    Joe blinked. He looked at the back of Louise's head then at his da again.
    "What about it, Joe?" Dermot asked. "Will you give me a chance?"
    "Um..." Joe's skin reddened. "Okay. Give me your number. But I... I'm not promising anything."
    "That's fair enough, Joe." He handed his son the ragged strip of paper. "I'll go now and give you two some time to think."
    "I've done my thinking, Dermot," Louise said. "Don't let the door hit your fat arse on the way out."
    Dermot knelt down by Stephen. He caught a glimpse of Joe in twenty years time in the smirking bastard. "I'm sorry about hitting you, big man. I wish I could take it back." But Stephen could read the amusement in his dark eyes. And smell the onions on his breath.
    "Fuck you." Stephen tried to inject venom into his voice. He sounded constipated.
    Dermot nodded. "I deserved that." Then he left.
    Louise went to Stephen's aid immediately.
    "Are you okay?" She stroked his face