Prove Me Wrong.

'Kieran's POV'

After looking forward to my Ireland vacation for more than 5 years it has come and gone. The 4 weeks flew by faster than I could have ever imagined, and as I sit here at the Dublin International Airport waiting for my flight back to the States I reflect back on the wonderful time I had with my family. Seeing my old childhood home, the city where I grew up, the rolling hills that still live within me this trip was exactly what I needed to unwind from the last eight years of collegiate stress before I dive into the real world. My grandparents and Irish family had made sure that I had the time of my life while I was here and I would be always be grateful for the wonderful family that God had blessed me with.

Speaking of my grandparents they eventually got to meet Jamie via Skype. With the time difference I forced Jamie to get out of bed before noon to talk to them. My nana absolutely loved him, but how could you not? My grandpa also liked Jamie but he's a man of few words, only introducing himself and listening as Nana questioned him. My grandparents balanced each other out, Nana talked too much and Grandpa didn’t speak unless he had to. After talking to Jamie for barely half an hour my grandma was sold, he was no longer that boy he was the man Kieran is going to marry. In fact I'm pretty sure my nana is mentally planning Jamie and I's wedding and probably praying that I get pregnant on accident so we have to get married sooner.

She had in fact mentioned great-grandkids while talking to Jamie and I was surprised he didn’t pass out. I know she threw me for a loop, catching me off guard in the midst of the conversation. My eyes widened as soon as she said it but Jamie remained calm, "I can't wait to have kids, Kieran will be a great mom." We hadn't really talked much about kids much but I knew he wanted them and so did I, someday but not too soon. I guess with this new ring on my finger maybe I should suck it up and have these adult conversations, Lauren always tells me that I run away from them and I can't deny it because I do. But at 25 maybe it's time to finally be an adult on the outside too.

The flights back to Dallas weren't as bad with the help of Dramamine I slept right through them, but the Jetlag hit me even harder this time around. Coming from being 8 hours ahead I was going to be so screwed for my first week of work. Thankfully I flew into Dallas on a Wednesday and had a few days to recover before beginning work the following Monday. The one thing that couldn’t wait to be dealt with was Knox, he was ready to come home whether I had the energy to deal with him or not. After Lauren picked me up from the airport I let everyone know I was safe back on US soil and crawled into my bed. Settling in on Jamie's side of the bed I let his scent lull me to sleep.

When I woke up on Thursday afternoon I was refreshed and ready to go pick up our little fluff ball. I showered and dressed to take on the Dallas heat, the weather was going to take some getting used to. Going from the mid 60's of Ireland to the 90's was a real slap in the face! Before leaving I made sure everything for Knox was ready to go, his Dallas Stars food and water bowls, and dog bed were set up by the window, and his toys were all ready to go scattered all over my once spotless living room. This was like bringing home a newborn baby only I got to do it all alone.

With the windows down and the music up I drove to the breeders farm, parking my Jeep and grabbing Knox's leash and A&M bandanna. Hockey season was over so it was time for him to rep his Aggie side! I met the tall man in the barn immediately spotting Knox, he had grown and gotten much fluffier since we had picked him out. He was still adorable and I couldn't wait to play with him when we got home. The man had me sign some more papers before handing him over, he was officially mine! Or ours, but well Jamie's not here so for now he's all mine! I bent down on the dirt floor, putting the red bandanna on him and clipping on his leash "Let's go home Knox!" I cheered. The black and white puppy danced around at my feet as I shook the man's hand before leading Knox to the Jeep.

Unclipping his leash I sat him in the passenger's seat, thankful that my Jeep has leather seats just in case he has an accident on the way home. Before leaving I snapped a picture of him with his A&M bandanna sending it to Jamie.

*I'm going home dad! We miss you! Ps. Mom dressed me, can you tell? :)*

He did well on the drive home, jumping back and forth from the seat to the floorboards watching as the fields turned into the cityscape. Parking my Jeep I clipped his leash back on, "Welcome home Knox!" I said petting his little head before placing him on the concrete. Once inside the apartment I set Knox loose to explore his new environment, he found the food bowls easily and already picked a favorite toy, a squeaky hockey puck. The sound was oh so annoying and I made a mental note to thank Jamie for buying it later. While Knox played I checked my phone finding an response from Jamie,

*He's huge! Miss you both, probably more his mom than Knox. I love you! :)*

I smiled reading the message, I wished that Jamie was home for this experience. Knox and I spent the rest of the week getting acquainted with each other, he was a ball of energy and was going to keep me on my toes! Even with his current size it was evident that he was going to need a house with a yard sometime soon, making it seem like either the dog was going to have to move in with Jamie or we both were.

Notes

Welcome to the family Knox! A few more chapters to go with PMW :) xoxo -Ally

Welcome Home Knox!

Knox