The Moon's Permission

down this street thousands of times, it seemed. Coming off a winning night, he had nearly twenty-five dollars in his pocket. One month past his eighteenth birthday, Galen Francis McNeil o

buried in, someday. It’s not lik

in Dublin. He didn’t really miss it, mostly. Sometimes though, his thoughts went to the world outside of Dublin, the village

Shoes in one hand, he held his precious hat in the other and ran up the stairs, his bare feet barely making a sound. Three steps at a time, humming music from the club in his mind, he dodged those sleeping on the stairs agilely and m

he door creaked open and wide blue eyes looked up at him. He slipped inside, shut the door, and put the key back around his neck as he picked Ian up in his arms. Finn took his shoes

their littlest sister wrapped her arms around Gael’s leg

d then under the bed, out of sight, while carefully pulling out a wash bow

led, Emily scrambled up into his lap and he gave her a hug, ruffling her hair, then like it was a magic trick, he pressed both hands together, wiggled h

ed up next to him like he was t

back from his face, settling it on his head, slightly cocked and jaun

corner where his blankets were. Ian waited until Gael kissed it and handed it back. On

ch, in the bag he’d long since tacked there to hide things in. He pulled his own blanket from behind the couch and laid down, bare feet propped up, Emily c

hole couch moved under him, but a couple hours was not nearly enough.

er hard kick, flattening it against the wall, then grabbed a

before he lost any curls and

your family, you lazy tramp, or di

still. “Ma! I have money and I got ya four wallets,” he said in English, with t

eaving a red handprint. “Irish in this house, you bugg

ed her ten dollars and the four wallets, in which there was another four dollars

f those books neither. She won’t do a damn thing until she’s finished reading it. She’s old enough to be wo

imself it had more character now. As soon as she went back into the other room, he pulled three small wrapped caramels from his pocke

to Gael before he could even start washing his feet. F

ir done up in ringlets and a new dress, a touch

you now,” Ma said, pattin

she said wi

tighter, then held out his arm to her. “Come m

to say to Kate-Marie, but he hadn’t figured out how to say them yet. ‘It’s going to be alright’ wasn’t going

justed and there was his favorite thing in the world. Red metal and chrome, the windshield folded down and a polished oak steeri

eyed Gael. “Already? I thought you’d sleep at le

ate-Marie said as if that were the female p

ous last night and wanted you to have the car for the day. The tank’s full an

r open for his sister to get in the bac

d on the bonnet to feel the engine humming to life. Even in the passenger seat, as slow as one had to go behind horse carriages

n the edge of the back seat, right in the

ropping me off

el to see his sister’s eyes go wide, even if he loved the car much better than the house. When

er and pulled out his handkerchief. With a bit of spit and some small resistance, he clea

s both!” She sa

aid in a soft Irish promis

urself killed. I’m a wo

n a shop and I’ll never stop bringing yo

world go by from where she leaned on the car

d against his face. He’d been thinking about what to do about his little brother

ely. You al

on his face, his fancy hat pushed back into

n the car, don’t you,” she

meone has to watch the car,” she gl

ver Alfred’s car,” Gael s

uld have

t’s better to look like a traveler for

ening to her complain

in his sights was slender, but his suit hung on him like he was firm in all the right places. His hair was red enough to be sunset, but Gael rather fancied the fires of Hell i

without coming to any serious decision about what he was going to say or do. It wasn’t the man’s wall

ack, his accent very different from New Yor

ld out

judging, sizing. He took Gael’s hand in a medium g

eil, but my friends all call me Gael. And who might you be?” So a b

e just come to New York t

er’s hand just a touch longer than he should have. “You’

et down the black doctor’s bag he was carrying to pull out a notepad m

eed his lucky day, “That’s in Brooklyn. Th

lk, rather than pay

good to welcome

eople weren’t

ou that place was in Ne

ickly followed by a gruff, “Excuse me

n’t sure he could breathe while this guy was talking. “We’re friends. He’s just about

oke, his cap shading his eyes as they narrowed. He couldn’t seem to disagre

said with a w

of their fingers caught and held Gael’s attention. Lips parted, he thought his skin had tu

ed seriously, those pretty gre

ked if he WAS a criminal, not if had been a criminal. Those were entirely different things, if he wanted to put too fine of a line on