‘I recognise those footsteps. Oh, Steren love, thank goodness you’re here.’
Star walked into Florence Sibley’s lounge, two warm bundles of fish and chips in hand, to find her auntie on the floor on her knees with her arms reaching right behind her.
‘Jesus, Auntie. What are you doing down there?’
‘Don’t you be taking our Good Lord’s name in vain now, my girl. Just help me up.’ Star put their dinner down on the table as Florrie went on. ‘I found this nice young man on the Internet. Enrico, his name was. Had wonderfully droopy Spanish eyes. Yoga for old fogies is his class. Anyway, I got in this position before the news and now I can’t get out of it.’ The old lady chuckled naughtily. ‘Thank God I popped a TENA Lady in after Countdown.’
‘Silly cow,’ Boris squawked from his cage.
Star, unable to suppress her laughter, gently lifted her auntie to her feet. The old lady let out a ricochet of farts of relief as she slowly uncurled her aching limbs.
‘I was joking about the incontinence pad bit,’ she imparted breathlessly. ‘I’ve the bladder of an ox, your uncle used to say to me.’ And then she limped off to the toilet. When she reappeared, Star had set the table and had tended to the fire so that it was now crackling comfortingly in the grate. Their fish and chips were keeping warm in the oven.
‘Remind me to bring some more logs up for you before I go,’ Star said.
‘Stop fussing, please. Come on, let’s sit by the fire and have a catch-up. I feel as if it’s been an age since I saw you.’
‘Sorry, Auntie, I’ve been busy, with work and play.’
‘Now that’s what I do like to hear, and it was lovely to see young Skye last week. You know what she’s like though. She’s got ants in her pants, that one – could only sit still for five minutes, didn’t want to eat with me, rushed off as soon as she felt she could get away with it. I couldn’t believe how long her hair had grown.’ Florence Sibley then stared right at her great-niece. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s nothing.’
‘And after nearly thirty-four years of knowing you body and soul and loving you, I think it’s much more than nothing.’
Star rested her head on the wingback chair and shut her eyes for a second. She then took a long slow breath in and exhaled it noisily. ‘I’m pregnant.’
‘Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Mother of God! Not again!’
‘Hello, hello, hello, hello,’ Boris screeched from his cage, causing Florrie Sibley to jump up and throw the cover over his cage.
‘Once is a mistake,’ she told Star. ‘Twice is a choice.’
‘No, it wasn’t like that.’ Star felt wretched. ‘Look, I don’t want to go into details, but I thought we were being careful.’
‘Not that careful, quite clearly. Oh, Star.’ Florence Sibley then sat upright in her chair and chided herself with: ‘What am I doing? “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” Luke chapter six, verse thirty-seven. I take it the baby is the Irish fella’s? And there was me worrying about Skye getting herself into trouble.’
‘You and me both.’ Star managed to smile.
‘And you want to have this baby?’
‘I really do.’
Florence softened. ‘Well, we had better get ready for another little Bligh bairn in our midst, hadn’t we then? How lovely. When are you due?’
‘I’m at the doctor’s on Tuesday, so will find out for sure then, but sometime next July, I think.’
‘Do you feel all right?’
‘Bit sicky the other day but I think that was because I ate shellfish. I’ve been drinking a lot too, poor little thing. I had no idea.’
‘It’s a bit late to be worry-warting about that now. And what does the King of the Blarney have to say about it all?’
‘I haven’t told him yet. You are the only person who knows. Estelle did, however, tell me I was pregnant before I even realised. Just like with Star.’
‘Of course she did,’ Florence Sibley said bitterly, getting up and kissing her great-niece on the forehead.
‘My dad is dead evidently. She blurted that out too. We had a huge row as she still won’t tell me who he was.’ Star’s voice went low. ‘Not even now he’s gone.’
‘She never told a soul. And for that reason, as hard as it is, maybe it’s better not to know.’
‘But I feel I have the right to. I want to know.’
‘I dare say she’s having hysterics about it even though she’s probably not seen him for decades?’
‘Yes.’ Star sniffed. ‘I keep thinking I will tackle her about it again when she’s sober, but she never is sober these days.’
‘If it’s meant to be, the truth will come out when the time is right, my dear.’
‘Do you really believe that?’
‘I do. You’re not ready for it yet. And I will pray for you to find your peace with it, as I pray for your mother every day that she may find hers. Do you love him? Conor, I mean?’
‘He’s a good man. He’s working hard for Billy Dillon now on the ferry and we have a lot of fun.’
‘Clearly you have fun, but you didn’t answer my question.’
‘I’ve only known him seven weeks.’
‘I knew in seven seconds with your uncle.’
‘Load of bollocks!’ came from under the birdcage cover.
‘I just found out today that the priest from the Catholic church up the hill passed away this week too. Cancer. Just sixty-one he was, so very sad. That’s no age at all, is it?’ Florrie said. ‘I didn’t know him personally, but Mrs Beatty, who comes to my WI group, told me he commanded much respect in the community. Rarely took a day to himself.’ The old lady sighed. ‘The Dear Lord takes the good ones first, as they are better served in His world, is my belief.’
‘Now that can’t be true, Auntie, or you would have gone years ago too.’
Florence Sibley tutted, then went to the stove to take out their dinner. They sat at the kitchen table with Star even letting her say grace without a word.
When she’d finished what she could manage of the large portion, Flo put her hand on top of her precious great-niece’s. ‘This old table has seen family present and past laugh, cry, debate, sing and be merry. And it shall carry on doing this, way into the future. When I go, promise me you’ll find a place for it somewhere in your life, where its secrets can soar.’
‘I promise,’ Star said, and she meant it. ‘Thank you for being such a constant in my life, Auntie Flo. But don’t you be going anywhere anytime soon, please.’
‘You were the daughter Jim and I longed for ourselves and I am so very proud of you.’
Star looked sad. ‘Everything will be all right, won’t it, Auntie?’
Florence Sibley nodded. ‘Of course it will. And if it’s not all right, then it is not yet the end.’
‘Amen!’ Boris shouted from under his cover.