Three Women (29 page)

‘Erin, I can’t believe you and Aisling have the same eyes!’ he marvelled.

‘My mum calls them “witchy eyes”,’ laughed Erin.

Sean and Kevin were a bit shell-shocked and tongue-tied at first, but gradually they began to give her a bit of a chance and actually talked and listened to her. They were nice guys and were dead impressed to hear that she had designed the cover for the new singer Lia’s album.

Only Aisling wouldn’t come near her or speak to her, making it very clear that she certainly didn’t want her there, but Erin supposed that was to be expected. It was only when Erin started talking about her own mum and dad and family, and how much they meant to her, that Aisling let her guard down a bit.

As they sat round the table eating and talking, and little by little getting to know each other, Erin could see Kate’s eyes shining, happy that they had all finally met.

Paddy opened a special bottle of sparkling wine and poured a glass for everyone.

‘We all want to welcome Erin tonight, and I hope that this will be the first of many occasions that she visits this house and we all get together.’

‘Thanks,’ replied Erin, recognizing that, for Kate’s sake, they did genuinely welcome her. ‘I was very nervous about coming to meet you all, but I’m so glad I did and that we’ve met. Kate told me a lot about you, how she had a lovely family, and now I’ve met you all – you are great, just like she said.’

‘Well, Erin, you’ll come to visit again?’ said Kate, a little nervous.

‘Yes,’ smiled Erin as Paddy poured her some more wine. ‘I’d like us all to get to know each other, if that’s okay.’

‘Okay!’ came the voices, even Aisling’s.

‘That was a very definite okay,’ thought Erin, relieved, as she texted Matt from the taxi on her way home. Despite their initial reluctance, Kate’s family actually wanted to try to get to know her and have some kind of relationship with her. It was far more than she had ever dared to hope for.

KATE LOOKED ALL
around the house and garden. Everything was perfect. She couldn’t believe it! Even the weather had stayed dry and warm for their Silver Anniversary party, which was a real bonus. A large gazebo with fairy lights had been erected in the garden and there were cloth-covered tables and chairs and parasols set up all over the lawn, with paper lanterns hanging from all the trees and branches. Paddy and the boys had really gone to town, and their suburban home had been transformed into something magical and pretty like you’d see in a film. There was a bar area and a food-serving area, and Kevin had spent days loading up music for the party on his iPod and setting up speakers.

Cassidy’s Off-Licence were, of course, supplying all the wines and beers and champagne for the night, but for once Paddy had put his foot down and organized a caterer that he worked with to do the food. Their staff, in their crisp white uniforms, moved silently around the house checking that everything was under control.

Kate couldn’t believe it as she ran upstairs to get ready.
Paddy
had surprised her with breakfast in bed and a beautiful diamond eternity ring, while she had given him a vintage bottle of Bordeaux and the holiday pack for their upcoming wine holiday, which he spent an hour perusing. The kids had all clubbed together and bought an expensive professional family photograph session. They had never been able to afford to get one done and it was the perfect present.

Kate had had her hair and nails done earlier and now she slipped into the expensive cream dress she had found in the designer boutique out in Malahide and which Trish had insisted she buy. Paddy was wearing a linen jacket and the new chinos he had treated himself to.

‘Looking good, Mrs C,’ he said, pulling her into his arms.

‘And you are looking very handsome too, Paddy,’ she replied, kissing him.

Downstairs she could hear some of the guests beginning to arrive, so, spraying some of the lovely new perfume Trish had given her, she went down to greet them.

All her family were coming tonight, even her elderly dad, who was driving up from Galway with her brother Eoin and his wife. Dermot Flanagan was gone very deaf, but Eoin had got him a good seat where he could see all that was going on.

Aisling looked amazing in the black-and-silver handkerchief dress she’d found in some vintage shop in Camden Street. Sean had surprised them by coming along with a girl called Tina, who he informed them was his girlfriend!

‘He kept that one well hidden,’ murmured Paddy, then chatted away to her.

So many of their neighbours and old friends were there and Kate was delighted that they had left no one out. Everyone was
mingling
and having fun and enjoying the warm evening as the waiters topped up their glasses.

Kate had invited Erin, but she wasn’t sure if she would come. It was hard for her to be confronted with a big family group when she didn’t know most of them and her relations had no idea about her.

Kate floated around saying hello to everyone. She couldn’t believe it that one of her oldest friends had come from Canada, and that Paddy’s sister Grainne and her husband Peter had come all the way from Hong Kong.

‘We don’t have a lot of family get-togethers,’ laughed Grainne, ‘so of course I’m going to make the effort!’

The caterers were just about to start serving the food when Kate noticed that Erin had arrived. She looked amazing in a fitted emerald-green dress, her hair down straight, and she had brought along Matt, the guy she had told her about. He sure looked one of those arty types with his scruffy hair and black jeans, but she could see he had Erin’s fingers laced through his as they stepped out into the garden.

Sally burst into tears when she met Erin and insisted on a massive hug to make up for all the lost years! Poor Erin didn’t know what to do.

Then Kate led Erin down to her dad and, sitting beside him, introduced him to his granddaughter. She had tried to explain about having Erin to him a few weeks ago when she had gone to stay in Glenalley, though she wasn’t exactly sure how much he had taken in. But seeing the two of them talking together tonight was more than enough for her.

The food was delicious and everyone was having a great time. Paddy was ensuring everything ran smoothly and, once
the
desserts had been served, he had stood up at the top of the patio steps and called Kate over.

‘On behalf of Kate and myself I would like to warmly welcome you all here tonight and thank you for being part of this very special occasion as we celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary and twenty-five years of being very happily married! Many of you were at our original wedding. Our marriage has brought us many things – our two wonderful sons, Sean and Kevin, and our beautiful daughter Aisling. It has brought us friendship and love and a home, lots of good friends and neighbours, and a business that we have both worked at building together. So tonight I would like to thank my wonderful wife Kate for saying “I do” twenty-five years ago and making me the happiest man on this earth. If it is possible, I love Kate even more than I did back then twenty-five years ago!’

Everyone cheered and clapped and Kate’s eyes welled with tears. She hated public speaking, but tonight she had to say something. She stepped forward.

‘I would like to say to Paddy that, walking up the aisle twenty-five years ago, I married the man I love. I love him even more now. Paddy, you are a man in a million. Thank you for the wonderful life we have made together. I’m so glad that we are married. I love you and always will!’ Overcome, Kate threw herself into his arms. Paddy laughed as he wiped away her tears.

‘Why are you crying?’ he teased.

‘I’m so happy!’ she said as he kissed her to loud cheers.

The party went on for hours. Kate had never enjoyed anything like it. She kicked off her new high heels, as they were cutting
her
feet, and sent Aisling to retrieve her old reliable ones. She introduced Erin to most of the family and to some of her friends. Erin was a bit shell-shocked with all the attention.

Then, as people began to drift away, Paddy and Kate danced together, with eyes only for each other as they stayed in each other’s arms, swaying to the music, and the years drifted away from them under the moonlight.

‘ARE YOU SURE
you’re okay?’ erin and claire both asked Nikki as they got ready to go out for the night.

‘I’m fine,’ she said, looking enormous as she sat with her feet up watching Saturday night’s
X Factor
on the TV.

‘We’ve both got our mobiles on if you need us,’ Claire reminded her.

‘Stop fussing, the two of you!’ laughed Nikki. ‘Dr Murphy told me that most first-time mothers go overdue, so nothing is going to happen tonight, I promise you!’

Erin felt reassured. She and Matt were going to the Film Centre to the screening of a documentary that one of his friends had made, and Claire and Donal were going to Milano’s for dinner.

‘Be good,’ laughed Erin, kissing Nikki.

Erin and Matt had just come out of the film and she had switched her phone back on when she saw the message.

‘
Musketeers to the hospital. Meet you there. Snoopy is about to be born. Hurry! Claire
’

‘Shit!’ she yelled at Matt. ‘Nikki’s having the baby! We’d better get a taxi.’

Matt remained his usual calm and collected self as Erin got the jitters. Having a baby was something she knew absolutely nothing about. She’d avoided looking at all the films, diagrams and books that her biology teacher had shown them in school about an actual birth as they had made her feel queasy, and now Nikki was expecting her to be there!

Matt paid the taxi man as she ran upstairs towards the labour ward. Thank heaven Claire was here already. Everything was controlled and calm and peaceful there; the only person out of breath and panicking and alarmed was Erin!

‘Your friend Nicola Byrne has been moved into the delivery room as she is about to have her baby,’ a midwife explained, making her sit down. ‘Claire is with her and she is doing really well.’

‘Can I go in and see her please?’

‘I’m afraid we can only let one person in the delivery room – that is hospital policy.’

Relief washed over Erin that it was Claire, medically trained and the rock of good sense, who was with Nikki, not someone useless like her.

‘Please can you tell her that I’m just outside?’ she asked as the midwife disappeared back inside with a doctor in tow.

Erin paced up and down, praying that everything was going well for Nikki and little Snoopy B.

Suddenly a nurse came back out. ‘Erin, is it? You can come inside for a minute to see Nicola and her baby.’

Erin couldn’t believe it and practically stumbled through the door. There was Nikki sitting up in the bed, holding her baby
in
her arms. Erin began to cry. It was wonderful – beautiful. Nikki’s baby was fine and Nikki was fine.

‘Come and look at her, Erin!’ called Nikki proudly. ‘Take a look at Milly B, my little girl.’

Erin studied the baby’s perfect face and head and mop of dark hair, just like her mum’s, and her tiny button nose. She touched her with her finger and the baby grabbed on to it.

‘Oh, Nikki – she’s so pretty and cute!’

Claire was drooling over her too, and Erin took the opportunity to give Nikki the biggest hug ever.

‘I’m so proud of you, Nikki, and you are going to be the best mum in the world ever!’

Erin could have stayed all night looking at baby Milly and talking to Nikki, but the nurses sent her and Claire outside as they would be transferring Nicola and her baby downstairs to a ward. Matt, delighted with the good news, gave Erin a kiss and said he’d talk to her later. The girls were both stunned by the arrival of little Milly into their lives. She was having two godmothers, Nikki insisted.

Nikki was moved into a six-bedded room and, even though she was tired and pretty exhausted, Erin had never seen her so happy and elated in all her life.

Down in the hallway, as they prepared to leave the hospital, they met Nikki’s mum and dad, all emotional as they arrived to meet their first grandchild. Conor Lynch had also arrived in a panic. Claire told him the good news about his baby daughter as she introduced him to Nikki’s parents. Watching them, Erin was glad that, hopefully, little Milly’s dad would play a part in his daughter’s life.

NINA STOOD IN
the driveway of clifton as the removal men loaded their furniture and possessions into the enormous van. She still couldn’t believe that Dominick Delahunt had somehow managed to find a buyer and that their beautiful house had been sold. Despite the awful market, they had got a very fair price and Dominick assured them that the people who were buying their house were a lovely family. So much for hoping the sale of Clifton would take months and months!

It was all so final, stripping the house out room by room and saying goodbye to a home they had dearly loved and filled with so many memories. She was feeling so raw and emotional about it that she was a mess, and had to keep hiding her tears from the poor removal men.

They had spent days packing boxes and crates and labelling everything. Tom had some sort of system going with stuff that was being put into storage, stuff that was being kept in her mother’s house or Lizzie’s or Bill’s, and stuff that was going to a charity shop or to the St Vincent de Paul, and woe betide anyone who got things mixed up!

Some of their bigger antique pieces of furniture had been sold at an auction in Sandycove, but the people who were buying the house had asked if they could buy their dining table and chairs and the massive sideboard, so it was a relief to think of the original dining set remaining here in the old dining room for another generation to enjoy.

One of the removal men asked her where her arts materials were going and she took them from his hands and put them in the boot of her car. She wasn’t risking them getting lost.

Erin was doing a sweep of upstairs, Lizzie was in the kitchen making tea for everyone and even Vonnie had insisted on pitching in with the packing and moving. Dominick Delahunt had called in briefly and assured them that if they found anything of theirs left behind, he would ensure it got to them.