Are You Ready? (14 page)

‘Mum!' Mel cried, as she saw them come through the door. She handed Fiona to Sarah and fell into her mum's arms. ‘I'm so exhausted, I don't know how I'm going to cope. The place is a mess, Fiona goes through more clothes than a catwalk show, and if I don't bring the bins down soon the health authority will shut this place down for all the smell of dirty nappies.'

Sarah's mum guided Mel into her bedroom. ‘Why don't you lie down for a little while, and I'll run you a bath? Sarah will look after Fiona and we'll help get this place shipshape.'

Mel was too worn out to protest, and after only a few minutes Sarah could hear heavy snores coming from her sister's bedroom. She started to change Fiona's nappy. It was at times like these that being a godmother seemed a lot more attractive than being an actual mother.

As if her mum could read her mind she said: ‘All mums get a little panicked at the start, Sarah, but Mel will be fine. And so will you, one day.'

Once Mel and Fiona were settled Sarah headed off to meet Hugh at the cinema. He was an avid film fan, and Sarah laughed at the way he got excited about every ‘coming soon' movie poster on the way up the escalator. He was sweet, and fussed about, making sure she had a good seat and plenty of food. As the film played, Sarah relaxed her head against his shoulder, and it felt right. She was at the cinema with her boyfriend. It might be a mundane activity for most people, but it made her feel excited and yet calm at the same time. Things were going right for her. This time she could make a relationship last, she could feel it.

Her mum thought she could feel it, too, and when Sarah came back from the cinema that night she was surprised to see her mum looking through Mel and John's wedding photo album.

‘What are you doing?' Sarah asked hesitantly.

‘Well, I just wanted to look at photos from that day at the golf club. If you and Hugh were to get married we would need to book it soon, as it has gotten so popular, and when I look at these old photos I am reminded why. It really is a beautiful venue and so close to home. I know you might think I'm looking too far ahead, but you are no spring chicken, pet, so you might want to rush this relationship on quicker. It would be fabulous to be planning another wedding!'

Sarah didn't know what to do, except head for bed. But, as she got changed into her pyjamas, she took out the mortgage broker's number and decided to go and see him first thing in the morning. She had to move out! It was urgent, she needed a change.

Ali had just got off the phone with the priest, Father Patrick Conway. He was an old family friend from back home, and only too happy to agree to marry her and Robin. After a long discussion the night before with Robin, and an even longer one on the phone with her parents, they had all decided that a marquee on one of the fields on the farm down home would be the best wedding venue ever. They would have no restriction on numbers, or available dates, or decor; they could get married when they wanted, and have the marquee looking however they felt. Her father had said, though, that it would be better to get married in drier warm weather, so the marquee wouldn't sink, and none of the girls would ruin their fancy shoes or dresses getting muddy walking in and out of it. So even though it was only four months away, they decided on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

It was much sooner than they'd thought they would tie the knot, and Ali knew everyone would think
it was a shot-gun wedding, but it wasn't. She just wanted to be married to Robin as soon as possible. She knew it would be more hard work, trying to organize dresses, the church ceremony, the reception music, honeymoon and God knows what else in four months, but she knew she could do it. And once Father Conway confirmed he was free that weekend Ali was relieved and excited that they could now plough ahead with all the other plans. She rang Molly to say the date and venue had been confirmed. Molly was only too happy that it was a marquee and that she would not be stepping on the toes of another chef in a hotel.

Ali's mum had given her a gift of a ‘wedding planner' diary and she took off the wrapper and stated filling in the date, making lists of things to do. It was going to be a long list!

She rang her mum to see if she and Ali's two sisters Jill and Kate could come to Dublin the following weekend, to start looking for ‘the dress'. She had no idea what she wanted yet, but knew she had to get cracking on finding it.

Ali had tilted her computer screen, so her boss couldn't see she was surfing bridal dress websites, and the second she was on her own printed off any dresses that caught her eye. Two-piece strapless simple ones grabbed her the most. As she filled an empty folder with the pictures she started to get excited. I'll be wearing one of these soon! Just then the silent but deadly Mary came in to leave a file on her desk, Ali managed to
minimize the Kathy de Stafford bridal dress website just in time. Thank God for the minimize button and whoever invented it, Ali thought, as her screen now showed a boring word document.

Ali and Robin had met for lunch and sandwiches in Merrion Square.

‘Can you ring your cousin to see who she used for photographs? Wedding photographers are so expensive, but all the websites say you do need them as you want to have the best photographs to keep for ever. And can you also ask your parents to start making up their guest lists? Dad needs to know what size marquee to book.'

Robin opened his chicken tikka wrap and sighed. The wedding was all they talked about, all Ali seemed to think about. And she used her mum like a hotline twenty-four hours a day. Of course he was dying for the big day, but guys just didn't care as much about all the fuss and little details as girls did. Ali didn't seem to understand this. And yet, she read his mind.

‘Robin, I know I'm driving you mad, but if we don't book things like a photographer, florist, caterer, priest, musicians, et cetera, no one else will, and the wedding will be a disaster. We just have to discuss and
book them now, so we can have the most perfect day ever.'

Robin smiled, and was trying to talk about the latest TV episode of
Lost
, when Ali interrupted.

‘Father Conway says we've to do a marriage preparation course, and soon.'

‘What? Why would we need to do one of them? We've been together for years, we own a place together, and know each other inside out. I mean, those courses sound old-fashioned, and are probably just priests trying to tell you not to sleep together until marriage. Well, too late!' He laughed.

‘Robin, I know it sounds weird, but it isn't just about sex or religion. It's about building a future together, talking about kids, family issues and more. And anyway it makes no difference if you want to do it or not, Father Conway says we've to do one, and show him the course certificate when we've finished.'

They never show you this in Hollywood wedding films, Robin thought: being locked up on some stupid weekend course talking about God and children.

‘Now, Robin, I rang ACCORD, the organization that holds these courses, and there is a huge wait for all the Dublin ones, but when I mentioned I was from Kilkenny they said we would be allowed to do one there. So they have a place for us in two weekends' time, and we can stay with my parents, too! It will be great. What do you think?'

Robin didn't know what to say. A weekend talking to strangers about marriage, and staying with Ali's parents, who would be talking non-stop about florists
and marquees, didn't sound appealing. But when he saw the look in Ali's eyes, he knew he had to say yes.

‘That's great, I'll ring them to confirm when I get back to the office.' And she opened her wedding planner to write more notes. That planner was like her holy grail, Robin laughed to himself. I should have proposed with one of them, instead of a ring that took years to save for, it would have been cheaper and a lot more useful.

Ben sat watching as the nurse took his dad's pulse and checked him over.

‘We will bring him to theatre first thing in the morning. Mr Daly, the surgeon, will take good care of him there. Try not to worry,' the lovely staff nurse told Ben and Maura.

The doctor had told them the day before that Joe was now ready for surgery. He had been in and out of consciousness, but Ben didn't know if Joe even knew where he was. I hope he doesn't though, Ben thought. His dad would hate to know what had become of him: that days had passed, drips been attached and disconnected, blood tests taken, scans and ultrasounds done, and yet Joe had felt nothing, his body betraying him.

The last few days had all blurred into one. Ben had sat with his mother, and side by side they had silently worried about Joe. Ben felt angry: his father was a good man, he didn't smoke, or drink much, he played golf and exercised, he was a great husband and tried to
be the best father. Even if I refused his help over and over, Ben thought. He didn't understand why this was happening. When he looked at his father, images and memories flashed before him, from Joe bringing him to school for the first time, to Joe teaching him how to play golf, and helping him study for college. His father had always been there for Ben, and Ben intended to be there for him now. In the past Ben had let his father down, he knew that, but he promised God he would change if only He would let his father pull through. Ben would change and be there for his mum and dad from now on.

The day after the accident he had rung his friend Jeremy to say that he needed to take all his holiday entitlement, he had to be here with his mum and dad. Jeremy had understood, and said to keep in touch. Jeremy had briefly informed him what was happening at work, but it felt weird to Ben to think that normal life was going on, while his life was on hold, waiting and watching to see what would happen to his dad.

Life within a hospital was like being inside a bubble, with everyone only thinking of charts, test results, drips, doctors' rounds and medication. It wasn't until Robin rang, under pressure from Ali, to ask him why he had stood Laura up the previous Saturday, that he even remembered they'd had a date. Once he told Robin what had happened Robin had felt awful, and said not to worry, he would tell Laura. Ben knew he should have rung her himself, but he barely even
knew her. How could he explain how he felt: that if anything happened to his dad not only would his mum die, but Ben wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of causing his dad to have a heart-attack. Ben's brain wasn't working, and he felt that speaking to Laura could only make things worse. She was better off without him.

The O'Connors' neighbours and friends had been marvellous, with someone looking after the house and pets, while others dropped in home-cooked meals – which was a godsend as the hospital food was stereotypically awful. It all made Ben realize how loved and respected his father was, how many friends his parents had. Ben felt he would be lucky to have people care for him as much.

When his mum wasn't crying she was telling Ben old stories: of how she and Joe had met, how Joe had proposed, how he was so romantic, how he was so proud the day Ben was born, and how he had worked late all those years to build up the business and pay for Ben's school fees and their comfortable lifestyle.

‘I am blessed to be with a man like your father, Ben. I hope one day some girl can say the same about you.'

The next morning, when Joe was wheeled down to surgery, Ben followed his mum into the small hospital chapel. She clasped her hands around her wedding ring, and prayed that her husband would survive. Ben prayed that God would save his mum the pain of
becoming a widow, and promised that no matter what the outcome was he, as the only child, would provide for her, would become the man of the house. And even though he knew he could not fill his father's boots, he was determined to try his best.

Molly sat on the DART. She was going out to visit Sarah for dinner. She had been dying to see Mel and the new baby, and when Sarah invited her to dinner with them she had jumped at the chance. She'd known Sarah and her family her whole life, and was so excited that someone she knew actually had a small baby!

She had gone to Next at the weekend and picked some beautiful babygros for Fiona: they had dog paw-prints on them and little hoods with dog ears. She had also brought a basket of cheeses and homemade brown bread for Mel. Molly didn't know if Mel was still craving cheese, but thought it better to err on the side of caution, after all the cheese-related incidents she had heard from Sarah!

When she arrived at the house, Sarah's mum greeted her with a great big hug and kiss.

‘I know my cooking won't compare to the fabulous delights you normally make, but I hope my chicken
wrapped in bacon will be all right.'

Molly assured her that she was no masterchef and was just delighted to see them all again, and finally meet Fiona. The baby was so cute: she was fair-headed and very long, just like her mum and aunt. As Sarah and Molly opened a bottle of wine and gloated over her, Mel talked about the christening.

‘John's mum is very keen to have her christened very soon, I think she is afraid that the Antichrist will snatch her or something while we are out grocery shopping! And since John's uncle Kevin is a priest and home from America on holiday in a few weeks' time, she wants to have it then. I think it is way too early, but what can I do, Mum?'

‘Mel, just do it. There's no harm in christening a baby early, is there? And I would love to help with the party. Myself and Sarah could decorate the place and Molly, you could do the food, couldn't you? You are the food expert, and we would pay you, of course.'

Molly was delighted, she was chuffed to be getting asked to do another event on her own, it would be a great experience for her. As Mel delved into the cheese, she and Molly discussed what food you should serve at a christening.

On the train back home that night Molly couldn't help wondering how she was so lucky: why she was getting asked to do so much work, and above all, why so many people trusted and believed in her. She texted Luke the
good news, and literally skipped into the apartment with excitement, but stopped short when she saw he wasn't home. She was surprised two hours later when he still hadn't returned. Where was he? she thought, as she fell asleep alone.