he’d fitted in the cabin. Ivan liked to think he’d inspired the song as he’d met the lads a few times when they’d played in Kenmare.
So, while the rest of the world busied itself, he sat in contemplation. He was glad to see that the previous morning’s cloud had passed and that his cousin was in a lighter humour. He had realized the date and its significance, which was why he’d checked in on her the previous morning, but he would never have mentioned it. Being there for her was enough – and she always made a lovely breakfast. Her reaction to Sam had struck him as odd. Mary was not inclined to fluster. Then again she often behaved peculiarly around the time of Ben’s anniversary. To be fair, the American seemed like a really nice fella and he looked forward to introducing the city boy to the sea.
*
It was just after seven when Mary made her way into the Horseshoe bar. Adam was sitting at a table picking at a bowl of mussels and sipping a pint. The bar waitress saluted her and made some joke about her being the competition. Adam stood and they hugged.
“You’ve had some week.” Mary wasn’t one for beating around the bush.
“I’ve had better.” Adam was a bush-beater.
“So, you’re really leaving?”
“Yeah – you know I wouldn’t put Penn through it if I wasn’t.”
Mary raised her eyebrows. “You’ve put her through everything else.”
Adam conceded that she had made a good point. He loved Penny too much to cause her pain intentionally but pain caused, whether intentional or not, is still pain. It was such a pity he didn’t love his wife.
“You’re in a pretty terrible fix,” she added.
“I am,” he agreed, “but it’s no different from the fix I’ve been in for years.”
“It is. You won’t have Penny,” Mary said, and instantly regretted it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why not? It’s true.”
“Cork is only sixty miles away,” Mary said, trying to compensate for her previous comment.
“Cork is a lifetime away,” he said.
Mary ordered a gin and tonic and he ordered another pint. Then he explained how his wife had worked out that he was having an affair and how she had threatened to take his kids to the Netherlands and how he had to make it work. He had no choice: he’d witnessed what losing his kids had done to Ivan. Mary squeezed his hand: given the choice, she would have traded anything or anyone for her own child. People wasted so much time seeking out the love of their lives in the shape of a partner, when the truth was that for most the real loves of their lives were their children – and everyone else was dispensable. Once, when Ben was still a toddler, she had used this theory to explain her lethargy in seeking companionship and now, years later, Adam and Penny were proving it had legs.
Adam’s wife had gone to Cork to set up home but her spies were everywhere. When Peggy Dawson passed she leaned in to say hello to Adam but the manner in which she looked Mary up and down, accompanied by a deep line-furrowing frown, suggested that what she really meant was “Your card is marked.” Mary wanted to point out that she wasn’t Penny, but as she was Penny’s closest friend, Adam was deemed to be fraternizing with the enemy. He was as nice as pie to Peggy and even managed to make his wife’s friend laugh. Mary also made an effort to smile at the local gossip and harridan, who had often described her as the Angel of Death. Peggy continued to eyeball them until they finished their drinks and left.
Adam wanted her to go with him to McCarthy’s for another but she needed to get back behind the bar. He asked her if she wanted company and, as Penny had decided to stay at home, she agreed. He sat up at the bar and she poured him a drink while he riffled through the available CDs as she’d promised him the music would be his choice. Her father was tired and she had assured him she would be OK on her own, with Adam to step into the breach
So, while the rest of the world busied itself, he sat in contemplation. He was glad to see that the previous morning’s cloud had passed and that his cousin was in a lighter humour. He had realized the date and its significance, which was why he’d checked in on her the previous morning, but he would never have mentioned it. Being there for her was enough – and she always made a lovely breakfast. Her reaction to Sam had struck him as odd. Mary was not inclined to fluster. Then again she often behaved peculiarly around the time of Ben’s anniversary. To be fair, the American seemed like a really nice fella and he looked forward to introducing the city boy to the sea.
*
It was just after seven when Mary made her way into the Horseshoe bar. Adam was sitting at a table picking at a bowl of mussels and sipping a pint. The bar waitress saluted her and made some joke about her being the competition. Adam stood and they hugged.
“You’ve had some week.” Mary wasn’t one for beating around the bush.
“I’ve had better.” Adam was a bush-beater.
“So, you’re really leaving?”
“Yeah – you know I wouldn’t put Penn through it if I wasn’t.”
Mary raised her eyebrows. “You’ve put her through everything else.”
Adam conceded that she had made a good point. He loved Penny too much to cause her pain intentionally but pain caused, whether intentional or not, is still pain. It was such a pity he didn’t love his wife.
“You’re in a pretty terrible fix,” she added.
“I am,” he agreed, “but it’s no different from the fix I’ve been in for years.”
“It is. You won’t have Penny,” Mary said, and instantly regretted it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why not? It’s true.”
“Cork is only sixty miles away,” Mary said, trying to compensate for her previous comment.
“Cork is a lifetime away,” he said.
Mary ordered a gin and tonic and he ordered another pint. Then he explained how his wife had worked out that he was having an affair and how she had threatened to take his kids to the Netherlands and how he had to make it work. He had no choice: he’d witnessed what losing his kids had done to Ivan. Mary squeezed his hand: given the choice, she would have traded anything or anyone for her own child. People wasted so much time seeking out the love of their lives in the shape of a partner, when the truth was that for most the real loves of their lives were their children – and everyone else was dispensable. Once, when Ben was still a toddler, she had used this theory to explain her lethargy in seeking companionship and now, years later, Adam and Penny were proving it had legs.
Adam’s wife had gone to Cork to set up home but her spies were everywhere. When Peggy Dawson passed she leaned in to say hello to Adam but the manner in which she looked Mary up and down, accompanied by a deep line-furrowing frown, suggested that what she really meant was “Your card is marked.” Mary wanted to point out that she wasn’t Penny, but as she was Penny’s closest friend, Adam was deemed to be fraternizing with the enemy. He was as nice as pie to Peggy and even managed to make his wife’s friend laugh. Mary also made an effort to smile at the local gossip and harridan, who had often described her as the Angel of Death. Peggy continued to eyeball them until they finished their drinks and left.
Adam wanted her to go with him to McCarthy’s for another but she needed to get back behind the bar. He asked her if she wanted company and, as Penny had decided to stay at home, she agreed. He sat up at the bar and she poured him a drink while he riffled through the available CDs as she’d promised him the music would be his choice. Her father was tired and she had assured him she would be OK on her own, with Adam to step into the breach
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