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Juice has known for a long time that Chibs' real name is Filip, but it like his brain hasn't processed it, because it comes as a surprise to him when someone brings it up on the cargo-plane to Ireland. He has never heard anyone call him that before Clay says "Filip," and pats Chibs' shoulder, "how does it feel to go back to Ireland?"
Chibs shrugs, and replies "it's okay," which it obviously is not. "At least you get to see Fiona and Kerrianne," Clay says.
Filip and Fiona. It sounds like two characters for a fairytale.
Juice is honored when he's asked by Chibs to take care of his family. Fiona seems really kind and soft-spoken, but he has heard enough stories about her to know she's not always like that, and he makes sure to be on his best behavior.
He doesn't really recognize anything from Chibs in Kerrianne, but he likes her. She asks about his real name, and repeats it in her singsong accent when he tells her. "But no one calls me that," he assures her, "like, ever".
"You and Da are close?" she asks.
Juice doesn't know what to answer, cause he honestly has no idea what Chibs really thinks of him, so he just says: "yeah, he's cool."
"I wish I could see him more," Kerrianne says with a sigh and Juice feels something that resembles bad conscience. "You don't have to feel bad, it's not your fault," she adds when he looks down at his hands.
"You call him Chibs, do you?"
"Yeah. Everybody does."
"That's weird," she says with a short laughter. "Chibs and Juice. Sounds like a meal."
"You think Filip and Juan Carlos is better?" he asks with a grin.
"Maybe not," she shrugs. "Well, Filip is, I think. But Juice is nice." She pronounces his name exactly like Chibs does.
Just a few hours after the first time he hears someone call out Filip and Chibs' voice answer, he hears Maureen call out his own name. Juan Carlos. Even to his own ears it sounds weird and he has to think before he answers. He can't remember the last time someone called him that, but a memory appears of his aunt. He doesn't recall the situation, just her voice, and the smell of summer. And his bike. His red bike. It feels like memories from some other life.
