They had not seen Niall’s mother since they’d left Ireland. She was not the only reason why they’d left, but she was one of the big three, particularly after Niall’s father had died (vodka rinsing him away over time like the letters on a sign). Did Niall love her? Did Niall hate her? He had hoped to never see her again, which wasn’t as conclusive an answer to those questions as one would think. She was one of those intimate villains, one of those species that was both poisonous and necessary to those susceptible. Too much of her would undoubtedly kill Niall Lynch, but too little might, too.
