Page 42 of A Merry Irish Christmas
‘It was Minecraft. I loved building the cities, and I had an awesome cave system. It was the envy of all my friends.’
‘I never played Minecraft, but my brother Finn was mad into it.’
‘Do the rest of your family still live around here?’
‘Yeah. They’re all in the Dingle area.’
‘And you’ve got – what – two brothers and two sisters, right?’
‘That’s right. Aidan’s the oldest – he’s the one who made this.’ She nodded to his plate.
‘I like him already.’
‘He’s a chef. He has a restaurant on the seafront in Dingle. Bo, my niece, is his daughter, and they live over the restaurant.’
‘How old is your niece?’
‘Five.’ She smiled. ‘She’s so cute.’ She felt a stab of frustration that she was missing Christmas with Bo.
‘And he took her to New York with him?’
‘Of course. He was hardly going to leave her behind here.’
‘But what about her mom?’ He frowned. ‘She’s not there, is she?’
‘No, her mother isn’t around. She bailed out long ago.’
‘Bailed out?’
‘She just… took off. She was sort of a hippie – a free spirit or whatnot.’
‘An asshole, you mean?’
‘Yes, exactly!’ She pointed a finger at him like a quiz show host telling a contestant they’d answered correctly and had won the grand prize. ‘She left when Bo was only eight months old. Just decided motherhood wasn’t for her, and that they’d both bebetter off without her. I guess she got that right, at least.’ She pushed her plate away and Evan topped up their glasses.
‘Where do you come in the family?’
‘I’m second oldest. Then there’s Finn – he’s a vet – then Abbie. She runs a tour company in Dingle with her friend Aifric. They do boat trips and tours around the peninsula. She lives in Annascaul.’
‘Ah, the scene of my boots’ near-demise.’
Mary laughed. ‘Cara’s the youngest. She still lives here with Mum and Dad, and she teaches yoga and meditation at a centre in Dunquin.’
‘Pity she’s not here now. I could use a class.’
‘You do yoga?’
‘Doesn’t everyone in New York?’
Mary laughed. ‘I guess.’
‘You don’t?’
‘No, you’re right. I do.’
‘So that’s it? No partners or spouses?’
‘Not so far. Unless you count Astrid, Bo’s mother – which we don’t.’
