Chapter 23 #3
Ciara closed her eyes and kissed him back.
His lips were soft against hers and he smelled of soap and freshly ironed linen.
His hair was silky as she put her hand to the back of his neck.
It was a sweet, touching moment that lasted only seconds but would remain in her memory for a long time.
‘So do I,’ she mumbled back as they sprang apart when someone came towards them down the corridor.
‘Sorry about that,’ Ronan said. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’
‘Whatever it was, I liked it,’ Ciara said, smiling at him as they emerged into the light of the reception area.
‘So did I,’ Ronan said softly in her ear. Then he showed his membership card to the woman at the desk and they went through the turnstile into the sunlit garden that smelled of flowers and newly mown grass.
‘We’d better find Elaine and your mum,’ Ronan said, looking suddenly anxious.
‘I’m sure they’re enjoying the lovely roses that must be in bloom,’ Ciara soothed.
‘But look, here they are now,’ she added as Maureen walked towards them, Elaine wheeling herself beside her.
Ciara noticed that Elaine’s expression was sad and that the friendly vibes between her and Maureen had turned a little chilly.
‘Ronan, we have to go home,’ Elaine said as soon as she spotted them. ‘I’m very tired.’
Ronan snapped to attention. ‘Of course, Elaine. If you wait here, I’ll get the car and pull up just outside the entrance.’
‘No, take me outside now,’ Elaine ordered.
‘Okay.’ Ronan grabbed the handlebars of the wheelchair. ‘Bye, Maureen and Ciara. Thanks for coming to see us today.’
‘Thank you for a lovely lunch,’ Maureen said. ‘So nice to meet you, Elaine. Hope to see you soon again. You’d be welcome to visit us when the bookshop is open.’
‘Thank you,’ Elaine said, her voice clipped. ‘I’ll get going on the broadband firms when I’ve rested. Let’s go, Ronan.’
‘All right,’ Ronan said and started to wheel Elaine away. He stopped for a moment at the exit and shot a look at Ciara that said more than a thousand words. It told her how much he cared for her and how desperately he wanted to act on it.
‘That lad is a little confused,’ Maureen said. Then she looked at Ciara. ‘And so are you, my poor darling.’
‘Oh, Ma,’ Ciara said. ‘It might not be so bad.’
‘I know,’ Maureen replied as they started to walk. ‘I have to tell you that I had a few words with Elaine about it all. I think you’ve misunderstood her completely.’
‘Oh no, Ma,’ Ciara exclaimed and stopped, staring at her mother. ‘What did you say?’
‘I just told her that maybe she should let Ronan off the leash and help him have a normal life. I said it was wrong to keep him tied to her to pay for his mistake.’
‘What did she say to that?’ Ciara asked, shocked by Maureen’s revelation.
‘She said she had forgiven him long ago.’ Maureen sighed. ‘But he hasn’t forgiven himself for causing the accident. Of course he did in a way. If he hadn’t looked at his phone at that moment, the crash wouldn’t have happened. But it was an accident and she knows that.’
‘Yes, I think that’s true,’ Ciara said. ‘I hope you didn’t accuse her of anything.’
‘Well,’ Maureen said, ‘I started to criticise her for forcing Ronan to look after her. And then I told her he might feel hatred and resentment at times when he watched young people of his own age having the freedom he does not.’ Maureen drew breath.
‘I said she would have a better relationship with him if she let him go.’
‘Oh no, Ma,’ Ciara said, appalled. ‘That must have upset her.’
‘I’m afraid it did,’ Maureen said, looking awkward. ‘But then she said that she understood that it would look like that to an outsider. He’s been blaming himself all along and felt he had to stay with her as her carer.’
‘I know,’ Ciara said. ‘I talked about it with Ronan and then I found out the truth. So we did misunderstand the situation. Elaine was never at fault at all. I’m glad she seemed to understand how we would have seen it. But she looked upset when she left.’
‘Yes, she was and I don’t blame her. I think she’ll be telling Ronan off when they get home.
She still wants to help with the Internet connection for the bookshop, though,’ Maureen said.
‘Which was strange. I would have thought that she was too angry to have anything to do with us after what I said.’
‘Maybe she wants to be involved because it will give her something to do,’ Ciara suggested. ‘She seemed quite fit and healthy despite her disability.’
‘She does,’ Maureen agreed, walking faster towards the exit. ‘But now we have to get home and get weaving. We have to work hard if we’re to get this project off the ground.’
‘Yes, we do,’ Ciara said and fell into step with her mother.
She knew she would have to break the news about quitting her job to Ma very soon, but that could wait.
Right now what was in her bag was more important: the letter addressed to her by Martha Fitzgerald herself.
She couldn’t wait to read it. Would she finally learn the identity of her grandfather?