She sighed and straightened her dark forest green cable knit jumper and brushed her fingers through her curly red hair. Before she could finish, her mother appeared on her screen, smiling wide with her own matching auburn curls. “Izzy, A stór! I did no’ expect t’ hear from you for another two weeks. Wha’ a pleasant surprise. Did you get my latest care package?”

“Yes Mam I did. I wore th’ jumper yesterday. It’s class. Thanks a million. How’s Da?”

“Oh he’s grand, out securin’ down the paddock walls as its spittin’ out but soon th’ weather is goin’ t’ turn nasty. Hugh and Liam are up from service and will be here for two full weeks though. It’s nice to have them home but their first night here and your da had them at the pub. They came home banjaxed and are feelin it today I mind. Still, they are out helpin your da and will just have to suffer for it.” She said with a grin.

Izzy matched her mother’s grin with one of her own. They looked so alike. Her brothers were a mix, some looking more like their father and some looking more like their mother. Between them though, there wasn’t a question who the parents were of all 9 children. She propped her chin on her elbow, watching as her mother’s attention was drawn away from something off screen. Within moments, she saw why, though she heard before she saw.

“Oh yeah. My head is in bits.”
“Well, we were eejits so....”
“I think I’ll go for a kip and....”

Her brothers both, came into the screen view grinning like the idiots they were as they realized who their mother was talking to.

“OH! How ya gettin’ on sis?”
“Yeah, Howsagoin? Kickin’ main fleet arse yeah?”
“HUGH!”
Together both men said “Sorry Mam” in the way that was definitely an oft repeated recitation.

“It was a rough mission last yeah, but I am recoverin’ well enough.” She couldn’t tell them that she had met her mirror self, even seen the mirror of their dead brother Aiden alive and well. It sat in her heart like a stone but she couldn’t talk about it with them. “I have been given the lead of beta squad.”

Both men erupted in congratulations and excitement. For all their banter, they loved their little sister and knew better than most, the struggles she had. Her mother couldn’t get any words in edgewise since they were so rambunctious at the news. She looked exasperated for a good long minute before finally shutting them down with a “BOYS!”

They quieted instantly, though there were thumbs up and gestures behind their mother’s back that had Izzy laughing. Their mother, used to this type of behavior simply soldiered on. “Fair play darling. We are very proud of you.... if you couldn’t tell.” She turned back to look at her sons behind her and they quickly stopped gesturing until she turned back around to face the screen.

“Thank you Mam. Its so good to see all of you.” She said with a happy sigh.

.. tbc

Delaney, Sec