Always You (32 page)

‘So when do you plan to marry?’ said Dad.

‘We have to get married within nine months of my arriving in Australia,’ said Sarah, playing with a teaspoon. ‘So we were thinking Christmas. It’ll be a very quiet registry office wedding, but I was hoping you’d all come out for it.’ She added hastily, ‘None of Cahal’s family will be coming.’

Dad looked at Aunt Vi and said, ‘Well, I don’t see why not. What do you think, Vi?’

‘A visit around Christmas time might be nice.’

Sarah’s spirits lifted. She had worried they would say no.

Becky said, ‘And you don’t mind not having a fancy wedding?’

Sarah smiled broadly. ‘I’d happily marry him in a sewage works wearing my gardening clothes, Becky.’

Later, when she was alone in the still and quiet house, Sarah stood in the lounge, her life stacked around her in cardboard boxes. Dust motes circled in a beam of late afternoon sun that shone on the dark patch of carpet where the rug had lain for the past eight years. Outside in the garden, the snowdrops were bent and withered and the white fluffy catkins on the pussy willow were almost finished. In a month’s time the cherry tree would be heavy with lush pink blooms and the yellow daffodils and red tulips would jostle for space in the borders.

And she and the children would be on the other side of the world, where the seasons were upside down and everything was new. Sarah tiptoed quietly out of the house that no longer felt like it belonged to her, and locked the door.

Later, at Dad’s, the table in the cramped dining room was laid with Mum and Dad’s wedding cutlery and crystal glasses that spent most of their life on display in the corner unit. Aunt Vi was putting the finishing touches to the table – salt and pepper, and expanding metal table mats.

‘You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, Aunt Vi,’ said Sarah. ‘It’s only a carry-out.’

Aunt Vi looked up and said brightly, though her eyes were sad, ‘It’s the last meal we’ll have together as a family for a very long time.’

‘The last supper,’ observed Sarah, her voice catching in her throat.

Aunt Vi came and stood beside her and together they surveyed the table. ‘You could say that.’ She gave Sarah a brief, self-conscious squeeze across the shoulders, then let go. ‘So let’s make it a good one.’

The back door bursting open in the kitchen made them both go and look. The children came running through from the hall, nearly knocking over Dad. ‘Hey, take it easy!’ he called out genially.

Cahal came through the door first, jacketless and laden down with white carrier bags, the muscles in his forearms standing out like ropes. The smell of Indian food filled the small room. He grinned at Sarah and winked. ‘Where do you want these?’

‘Let me take them,’ said Aunt Vi, bustling into action. She took one bag out of his hand and he jerked a thumb over his shoulder and said to Sarah, ‘I picked up two renegades on the way over. And Ian’s car’s just pulled up out front.’

Tony came through the door next with Becky right behind him. He said something over his shoulder and she giggled, then slapped a hand over her mouth. Tony held up a bottle of red wine in one hand and a bottle of white, wet with condensation, in the other. ‘I hope you don’t mind, David, but I brought these.’

Dad chuckled. ‘Not at all, Tony, just don’t make me drink any of the stuff! I think you’ll find a corkscrew in that drawer there.’

Tony went over, rummaged in a drawer, pulled out an ancient corkscrew and set to on the wine.

Ian appeared at the back door then, wearing a smart navy jacket and tan chinos. He stood uncertainly on the doorstep, holding a big box of Thornton’s chocolates in both hands. Sarah went over to the door and smiled. ‘Come on in, Ian. Getting a bit chilly out there now, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah.’ He stepped into the by now packed room, and smiled, ‘It’s like church on Christmas morning in here!’

Everyone laughed, Lewis cried out, ‘Dad!’ Then he pushed past his grandfather and threw his arms round Ian’s waist. Ian ruffled the top of his head and said to Molly, ‘And how’s my girl today?’

‘Starving!’

‘Well, let’s get everybody round the table before this food gets cold!’ said Aunt Vi.

‘Oh, these are for you, Vi,’ said Ian, handing her the chocolates. ‘Thanks for having me over.’

‘Oh, they’re lovely, son. Thank you. But, sure, it’s only a wee supper. You shouldn’t have bothered,’ said Aunt Vi, but she beamed with pleasure all the same. ‘And don’t thank me, thank Sarah. It was her idea.’

He smiled his thanks at Sarah.

‘Thanks for coming, Ian. I’m really pleased you did,’ she said in a voice loud enough for only him to hear, hoping that he understood how much she appreciated the gesture. It couldn’t be easy for him sitting round the same table as her and Cahal. She doubted that there were many men in this world as selfless as Ian.

Aunt Vi clapped her hands. ‘Come on now, everyone. Let’s go next door and sit down.’

Once everyone was seated elbow to elbow around the table, had food on their plates and drinks in their glasses, Dad said to Ian, who sat between the children, ‘So how are you getting on with the visa application?’

‘Good.’ He paused to chew and added, ‘The immigration consultants that Cahal recommended have done a great job. I’m lucky because of the job I do – they’re desperate for sales and marketing managers out there.’

Aunt Vi, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table beside Dad, speared a piece of lamb. ‘And how’s the job hunt going?’

Ian crossed his knife and fork on his plate and set his elbows on the table. ‘Well, I have some good news on that front too.’

Everyone paused and looked up from their plates.

‘Do you remember I flew out for that interview with Fulcrest?’

‘The insurance company?’ said Cahal, sitting between Sarah and Lewis.

Ian nodded. ‘Well, they offered me the job and I accepted.’

‘That’s great news, mate,’ said Cahal raising his glass. ‘Cheers!’

Everyone followed suit and Lewis said, ‘Does that mean you’ll be coming with us tomorrow?’

‘No, darling,’ said Ian, picking up his knife and fork again. ‘It’ll be a month or two before everything’s sorted out. Don’t look so sad, son. You’ll be so busy you’ll hardly notice I’m not there. And I’ll speak to you and Molly on the phone almost every day.’

The conversation revolved around this news for a few minutes and then Molly, who’d been quiet up till now, said, ‘How’s Bisto?’

Becky, on Sarah’s right, smiled. ‘Oh he’s very, very happy, sweetheart. He’s used to my place already. I got a cat flap in my front door yesterday so now he can come and go whenever he pleases. So you don’t need to worry about him. Him, me and Tony are very happy together.’

She helped herself to more rice while Molly, smiling happily, loaded her plate with chicken korma.

Sarah said, ‘You’ll be starting your archaeology course in September, won’t you, Becky?’

Becky glanced quickly at Tony, sandwiched between her and Dad, and Lewis said, ‘What’s arch-e-logically?’

Molly sniggered then gave him a withering look. ‘Digging up things from the past, isn’t that right, Aunt Becky?’

‘That’s right, pet.’ Becky ripped a bit off the communal naan bread and set it on her plate, before wiping her hands on her napkin. ‘Why do you ask about my course?’

‘Oh, I was just thinking.’ She turned to Cahal. ‘Dad and Vi are going to come out at Christmas for the wedding.’ Cahal’s mouth was full of food and he could only nod in reply. She squeezed his knee under the table, then turned to Becky. ‘You’ll not have to worry about taking time off work. And you’ll get a nice long holiday at Christmas. We’d love you to come too, Tony, of course.’

‘I always meant to visit Australia,’ he said.

Becky leaned over, whispered something in Tony’s ear, and he nodded.

‘Ahem,’ said Becky and everyone stared. She and Tony grinned foolishly at each other and held hands on top of the table. Becky looked round and took a deep breath. ‘Actually I’m not sure we’ll be able to come out at Christmas.’

‘Oh,’ said Sarah and the room fell silent. Sarah could’ve kicked herself. With Becky not working and Tony supporting her, of course they wouldn’t have the money for an expensive holiday. She shouldn’t have suggested it.

But Becky didn’t look in the least embarrassed. Her eyes sparkled and her smile was wide and full. Tony stared at her as if she was the only woman in the world. He gave Becky an encouraging nod and she said, ‘Because we’ve got some very exciting news to tell you.’

Everyone waited. Sarah noticed that the glass in front of Becky contained not wine, but water.

‘We’re going to have a baby.’

Sarah’s eyes travelled down to Becky’s plump belly and for a moment it was inconceivable. Her little sis a mum? And then for the first time in her life she saw Becky as others must see her – a capable, intelligent, grown woman. A woman on the road to motherhood.

‘Oh, my,’ said Vi, putting a hand over her mouth. ‘A baby!’

Molly said excitedly, ‘That means we’ll have a cousin, Lewis!’

Sarah threw her arms round Becky and found her voice. ‘Oh, Becky, that’s the most wonderful news. I’m going to be an aunt!’

Cahal stood up, leaned across the table and shook hands with Tony. Ian and Dad followed suit and Dad patted Becky’s shoulder.

Lewis, watching all of this with a look of puzzlement on his face, said, ‘What’s the big deal? It’s only a baby?’

When the laughter had died down, Ian said, ‘What about your uni course, Becky?’

‘All sorted. They’ve said I can defer for a year, no problem.’

Dad dabbed his mouth with a folded napkin and set it on the table. ‘Well that’s wonderful news, all right. Another wee bairn in the family. My goodness.’ He paused to let this sink in and then a frown passed across his face like a cloud. ‘But you don’t want it to be born out of wedlock.’

‘What’s wedlock?’ said Lewis.

‘Never you mind,’ said Aunt Vi, with a sharp glance at his plate. ‘Finish your dinner.’

Becky laughed. ‘Oh Dad, you’re so old-fashioned.’

‘We have talked about marriage,’ said Tony, apparently taking Dad’s concerns more seriously than Becky. ‘Haven’t we, Becky? But we’re not in any rush.’

Becky wrinkled her nose. ‘Maybe after the baby’s born.’

‘When’s it due?’ said Aunt Vi, her face all red and shining.

‘End of August. We’re not ruling out a trip to Australia,’ said Becky, looking at Tony. ‘But the baby’ll only be three and a half months old come Christmas.’

‘Oh, you can’t be too careful with wee ones,’ said Aunt Vi, her hand shooting up to her neck. ‘You don’t want to be taking risks. The air pressure could damage their wee ears. And you can catch some horrible infections on these planes.’

Sarah smiled good-naturedly, while her heart soared with happiness. Becky’s timing could not be more perfect. The baby would distract Aunt Vi and Dad from the loss of Molly and Lewis. ‘Well, let’s just wait and see how things go. And if you can’t come out, Becky, I’ll try and swing a trip back with the kids in January, before they start back at school. What do you think, Cahal?’

‘Great idea.’

‘I’d better get the knitting needles out!’ said Aunt Vi. She fanned her face with her napkin. ‘Well, what an eventful year this is proving to be!’

Later, when darkness had fallen and the kids had gone home with Ian, Sarah lay in Cahal’s arms in the lumpy bed in Becky’s spare room. The streetlamp outside cast a golden glow through the thin curtains and Sarah thought that she would not sleep a wink. Her head was full of Becky’s happy news and excitement about the future. But her joy was tinged with sadness at leaving Ballyfergus and those she loved.

Cahal, lying on his back, stroked her bare arm absentmindedly. As if he could read her mind, he said, ‘I feel as if you’re giving up your family for me.’

She swallowed. ‘It’s not so bad. We can talk on the phone every day and visit.’ She paused and added, ‘But it is a very big thing to move the children to the other side of the world and for Ian to come too. I hope things work out for him.’

‘I’m certain they will.’

‘I’m doing it because I love you so much, Cahal.’ She paused, and traced a line down his chest. ‘And I feel as if you’ve given up your family for me.’

‘How’s that?’

‘Well, you’re not inviting them out to the wedding, are you?’

‘They wouldn’t come anyway, Sarah.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘They only visited once in all the time I lived in Melbourne and, to be honest, I don’t want them there. I’ll still send Mum money but I have a new family now. It’s you, my boys and Molly and Lewis.’

‘That’s sweet.’

‘I mean it. You and the kids are all that matter to me. Don’t ever forget that.’

She reached for his hand and locked their fingers together. ‘I won’t.’

They lay in silence for a long time. Sarah’s head on Cahal’s chest rose and fell gently in time with his long, deep breaths. She imagined Evelyn looking down in approval.

‘I’ve waited twenty years for you, Sarah. And do you know what?’

She pulled herself up onto her elbow, her fair hair falling round her face. ‘What?’

‘You’ve been worth the wait.’

‘And so have you, my darling man.’