Made With Love

Chapter 20

In the village of Kilronan on Inishmore, the St. Enda’s Day Feast is in full swing. Banners lash in the wind, sending a sharp snapping sound up the main street among the market stalls and the throng of people, all of them lined up to see St. Enda parade down the street with the pipers. I jump onto the pier in the gold, sparkling gown and a new pair of wellies, a manila envelope under my arm.

He promised he’d keep them at the house, but I’ve got to hurry!

I tear up the street and through the crowd, fingers pointing after me, and reach the cottage breathless. Familiar voices peel through the open windows.

‘Mum, we’re missing it!’ Cormac wails.

‘Whist, will you!’ Clare says. ‘Cathal, what do you mean you can’t find the file?’

I take a deep breath and ring the doorbell.

‘I’ll get it,’ Dermot says and jerks the door open. His mouth flops open when he sees me there on the stoop.

‘Thought I’d deliver it myself,’ I smile.

‘Julie, my God!’ Dermot whoops and pulls me inside. I wink over his shoulder at Cathal. Clare stands up and smooths her skirt. She puts a hand out to me.

‘Before you sign anything,’ I say, ‘I have a proposition for you.’

Cathal draws out a sheaf of forms. ‘Here is the new contract you requested,’ he says and hands them over to me. ‘And if you’ll excuse me,’ he nods his way to the door, ‘I have a party to get to!’

‘Thanks, Cathal!’ I shout after him.

‘What’s this?’ Clare asks, eyeing the forms.

‘It’s the sale price plus interest. I want to put it back into St. Enda’s,’ I say.

‘No, I couldn’t let you do that, now,’ Clare says.

‘On the condition that you take me on as your partner.’

‘Partner?!’ Dermot cheers.

‘I can’t be here full time, of course, so I need someone I can trust,’ I smile. ‘And if you can’t trust family, who can you trust?’

Clare frowns at me. Her brow furrows as if she’s ciphering some complex equation.

Please, Clare. Say something!

She sticks a hand out. ‘Deal,’ she says. I grasp her hand, and she pulls me to her.

And now we’re hugging. I pat at Clare’s back self-consciously, my body rigid, my mind wheeling. This is... weird. Clare hugs me tighter and, by invisible degrees, I feel myself relaxing into her embrace. A warm, wash of emotion overcomes me, and for a moment I feel my mother’s arms around me. A silent tear falls down my cheek. I reach up and unclasp Mum’s necklace.

‘I want you to have this, Clare.’ I thumb the pendant one last time and hand it to her. She stares into her hands reverently, and then smiles the warmest of smiles. She reaches out and refastens it around my neck. ‘No, I want you to keep it,’ I say, tears streaming now.

Clare cups my face in her hand. ‘I am,’ she says and hugs me to her.

‘Okay, now can we go?’ Cormac whines.

‘YES,’ Dermot and Clare smile.

She takes me by the hand and leads me out into the late summer sun.

The four of us wind our way into town just as the floats are beginning their trek around the market square. The air is laced with the bright smell of candyfloss and charcoal. Cormac darts off and picks Ava out of the crowd. She plants a sly little kiss on his cheek.