Chapter 37
37
MINNIE
Inside her front door, Minnie kicked off her shoes, and gave silent thanks that she’d managed to last the whole night without the kind of incident that had felled her twice yesterday. She put that down to good shoes, great company and the beautiful meal at Gino’s restaurant. For someone who regularly forgot to eat, that had been such a treat.
And there would be more of them to come. She and Gino had talked long after the party had ended and they’d set out a plan – the same one that Henry had in mind in the moments before he left her.
Gino’s sons were going to help him move his things over here and into her spare room tomorrow.
No one could replace Henry, and no one could replace Alicia, but they could share a house, and share their days, and it would make both their lives so much better. Company mattered, didn’t it? Life was so much better when the joys were shared too.
They’d already planned a few things that they might like to do. Day jaunts to the coast. Maybe one of those bus trips up north. And Gino had even suggested that they might visit Italy, to see the village he’d grown up in.
And Minnie had agreed to it all, because if they didn’t do it now, well… They both knew what the alternative could be.
They were going to live every single day as if it was their last and they were going to enjoy every minute of it.
Most of all, they were going to take care of each other. And that was what Henry and Alicia would have wanted.
Minnie went through to the living room, switched on her record player and put the needle on the start of the record.
She was exhausted, her skint knees were stinging, and her hip was beginning to ache again, but as the opening bars of ‘Moon River’ filled the room, her ailments were forgotten as she began to sway, and as always, felt Henry’s cheek touch hers.
‘My darling, I have so much to tell you,’ she said to him, without speaking the words. ‘Ailish and Eric have mended fences, but only as friends. Eric wanted more, but, well, there was no going back for Ailish, and nor should there be. Eric is just going to have to find a different happiness. And going by the sparkle in Ailish’s eyes tonight, I think she’s already there. You’ve always loved her like I do, Henry, so I know you’ll be pleased about that. And, Henry, your darling granddaughter got engaged to Cormac. Oh, to be that age again. There was a slight hitch getting there, but when they sorted it out, the joy on their faces made me weep with happiness for them. I’ll only admit to you that I so wish it was us. Imagine starting all over again, Henry. Another lifetime with you. I’d give anything for that to be true.’
The bars of the music wrapped around her heart, and she knew that he’d give anything to have that too. But for a little while longer, she had to live in the real world.
For the first time since the music started, she whispered words aloud, just to make sure he heard them. ‘And, Henry, I spoke to Gino, and everything went just as planned, my darling. So you can go rest now, because I’m going to be fine.’ She knew he could see her smile and hear the soft words she was saying now. ‘Henry, my love, you’ll always have my whole heart. I’ll see you when I get there…’
And with that, Henry Ryan kissed her and then began to walk away.
‘You will, ma darling,’ she heard him say. ‘I’ll be waiting.’