The Big Apple’s streets sparkled with the lights of the holiday season. Kaitlin eased through the throngs inspecting the window displays in the crisp late afternoon, half hearing the laughter and chatter. She still found it hard to be merry, as if a shadow were always a few steps behind her. It would pass, she’d been told. Soon, her life would be back to normal.
‘I know, Mom,’ she said, pressing her cell closer to her ear to stifle the festive din.
‘Because if you want, I can come to New York to be with you,’ her mother was saying.
‘No, Mom, Dad needs you there. Besides, I’m heading back to Vassar soon. I’ve got an interview with the dean’s office on the last day of semester, to make sure they’re letting me back in the spring.’
‘Of course, of course. You’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’
‘Yeah. Thanks for reminding me.’
‘So, you are working hard to catch up on all that work you missed, I take it? Because you’ve been given a second chance, you know. You don’t want to waste it. The college has been very reasonable.’
‘I know, Mom. And don’t worry. I won’t fuck it up again.’
‘Kaitlin! You know I hate it when you use those words.’
‘Yeah, sorry. Anyway, gotta go. I’m meeting up with an old friend.’
When the crossing blazed green, she hurried across the street and weaved her way to Rockefeller Plaza. The Christmas tree towered in a blaze of light and skaters whirled around the ice rink in front of it.
Rory was waiting near the stall selling mulled cider, his hands shoved in the pockets of a camel-hair coat. He was growing a moustache, for some reason. His face lit up and he threw his arms wide when he saw her.
He’s going to hug me, isn’t he? Kaitlin thought.
He did, lifting her off the ground.
‘It’s so good to see you!’ he said, setting her back down. ‘The woman who everybody’s talking about! Magazine covers, newspaper articles, podcasts, blogs by the thousand. You’re an inspiration to many.’
Kaitlin shrugged. ‘I’d happily settle for being invisible. So, how have you been doing, Rory? How’s the case going?’
‘Good. Probably be resolved in about … I don’t know – seven years.’
Kaitlin laughed.
‘The wheels of the law grind slow but hard. But with any luck, I may be moving to a new office – one with a more fragrant atmosphere.’
Rory’s face softened and Kaitlin felt surprised to see some real warmth there.
‘And my daughter’s home, staying with me, which is probably the best Christmas present I could have asked for.’
‘And how’s your wife?’
‘Ugh, which one? Oh, and congratulations on your brother’s wedding. I saw the pictures on the news. How are they?’
‘Thomas has got out without being charged. I mean, he was dismissed from MI6, but he’s relieved to be out of the intelligence business. They just want to put all this behind them.’
Rory bought a couple of plastic cups of the mulled cider and handed one to her.
‘Your parents OK? I know there were some tensions there.’
‘I think they’re beginning to accept Conor for who he is. They might not be there yet, but they will. In the end. Maybe in about seven years.’
This time, Rory laughed.
As they sipped their drinks and watched the skaters spin, they chatted like old friends. At one point, Kaitlin looked along the cross street and glimpsed the red lights of a passenger jet in the distance, beyond the water. For the first time, she didn’t ache with memories of her brother.