Page 50 of Harbor Lights
She wished Con was going to be there tonight. The meal seemed to involve almost everyone she’d met on the island, excluding Joey and Mari. She was growing fond of them all, but the one person she wanted to see wasn’t a part of this family gathering. She ruminated on Con’s revelation about her mystery sister. She’d never had any siblings, but Shiv liked to think if she had one, she’d’ve stayed close to them.
But here she was, joining her big, new family for a meal. She had a chance at something she never thought would be possible.
Gracie, the oldest daughter, opened the door when she knocked. “Hey, Gracie, have you cut your hair?” The girl’s previously shoulder length strawberry blond hair was now cut in a choppy bob just below her ears.
“We’re not talking about it tonight.” Aoife appeared in the hallway. “Grace, can you help your dad set the table, please?” Gracie let out a groan and slumped away.
“She cut it herself,” Aoife murmured. “We had to take her to Kathleen in Portrinn to try to fix it.”
“It suits her short.” Shiv shrugged. There were worse things kids could be doing at that age. She ought to know.
“When I was twelve,” Aoife said, “I was too busy running around the island hoping Joey or an older cousin would let me hang out on their boats. I didn’t even know I had hair.”
She led Shiv into the lounge, where she was immediately hit by a wall of sound and movement.
“Hey, Shiv, good to see you.” Tierney immediately handed over little Peggy, who made a grab for her eyebrow piercing.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Tierney removed her pudgy, determined little fingers from the loop of steel and handed her a teething toy. “Sorry about that.”
“We’re good.” Shiv swung Peggy around the room, and greeted Seán, who had his hands full of cutlery, and Kasia, who was chatting to Saoirse, a smaller version of Gracie, but without the self-styled hair.
“Mamamamamama!” Pegeen reached her little arms out and Kasia took hold of her.
“Can I hold her?” Saoirse held out her hands. Kasia lowered Peggy to the ground and held her hands as she toddled on unruly feet toward her cousin.
“She’ll be walking properly soon.” Shiv surprised herself with her small talk.
“Then we’ll all be in trouble.”
Pegeen used Saoirse as a mechanism to get to the table. Kasia swiped a bowl of chocolates from the surface just before little fingers reached them. “This one knows what she wants, and we’re all just minions to help her get it.”
Pegeen shrieked and moved on along the table, heading for the fruit bowl.
Seán scooped that up on his way past. “I’d almost forgotten what it was like to have nothing breakable on display.”
“Where’s Ruane at?” Shiv asked.
Seán turned. “In his room. He’s sad because his best friend has gone away. He’ll surface soon for his dinner.”
“Can I do anything to help?” Shiv’s head spun at the multiple conversations in the room, but she didn’t feel as uncomfortable as she’d expected. It was kind of comforting.
“Come and sit down for five minutes.” Aoife indicated the space next to her on the couch where she was talking with Tierney. Shiv joined them, wondering if she was imposing herself into their conversation.
“We were just talking about Christmas Day plans.” Tierney’s knee jiggled, as if she were entertaining an invisible child. “Mari’s offered to cook for us all in the restaurant. Are you in?”
Shiv’s brain moved directly to an escape route. “Hey, I dunno. It’s still weeks away. I’ll probably just…” Damn this tiny island and its lack of excuses. “I might go to Dublin for the holidays.” She wouldn’t. It would cost the kind of money she just didn’t have.
Tierney stuck out her bottom lip. “Oh. Well, if your plans change, you’ll be very welcome. Half the island will be there.”
She turned back to Aoife to discuss the details and Shiv sat there in her self-imposed exclusion.Why am I doing this?
“Okay, yes, I’d love to be included, thank you.” The words fell out of her mouth and her cousins turned. Tierney had a smile flickering on her lips.
“Good, that’s settled, then.”
“Dinner in five,” Seán’s voice roared from the kitchen.
“Do me a favor, Siobhán,” Aoife said. “Go and find my wayward children. You seem to have made an impact on both of them.”
