Amy studied the engagement ring, her fingers touching and twisting it. She enjoyed the familiar feel of it back on her finger and was so glad that Dan hadn’t taken her advice to return it to the jewellers.
‘I knew that you would be wearing it again,’ he said, pulling her into his arms. Amy relished his touch and smell and the feel of his breath again, as she made her own feelings equally clear, the awfulness of the past few months without him forgotten.
‘Stay tonight,’ he pleaded. ‘I need you.’
‘I love you,’ she said, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, desperate to feel his body close to hers, and equally wanting to make love like they used to.
Amy saw the love shining in Dan’s eyes as he led her back into their bedroom.
‘Never leave me again,’ he said huskily as he drew her close to him and they fell on to the soft quilt and pillows.
Amy silently vowed that she would never let angry words or rows keep them apart again, as she began to let Dan know just how much she had really missed him.
* * *
Awaking beside Daniel the next morning, Amy watched the easy rhythm of his breathing as he slept on, a smile on his face. A few days ago she had thought that she was on the point of losing everything that was precious to her: Dan, her dad, and even her grandmother. Now, by some kind of miracle, she had been given a second chance. She swore silently never to take anything or anyone in her life for granted again.
They were both late for work, and Amy grabbed her phone and sent Norah a text to say that she wouldn’t be in till after lunch. Then she lay back and dozed, realizing just how much the past few days of worry had taken their toll on her.
‘Morning, gorgeous,’ Dan said a while later, tickling her hips and stomach.
‘Dan,’ she laughed, as, ignoring the bedside clock, he dragged her under the bedclothes and they made love again.
They went for a romantic lunch in Picasso’s, their favourite little restaurant in Ranelagh, and then both headed to work for a few hours. Amy was unable to keep the smile off her face when Jilly and Norah immediately spotted the ring was back on her finger.
‘Back where it is meant to be,’ said Norah, ignoring the fact that Amy hadn’t appeared in to the office until nearly three o’clock in the afternoon.
After work Amy drove to the hospital to see her dad. He still looked awful, but seemed slightly brighter than the day before. He no longer needed oxygen, which was a very good sign.
‘And he ate some porridge this morning,’ said Ciara proudly, full of questions about how Dan and she had got back together again. ‘I’m so happy for you, Amy. He is your other half, and you were lost without that missing piece.’
Amy wondered how her younger sister managed to sum up exactly how she had felt.
‘Where’s Mum?’
‘She’s gone over to Gran’s for a while. Uncle Brendan is bringing Gran back up from Wexford tomorrow. He said they’d call to see Dad on the way.’
‘Gran’s coming back from Wexford!’
‘Yes, that’s what I said.’
‘Gran’s coming back,’ Amy explained to Dan that night as they sat out on the apartment balcony and ate dinner. ‘I’ve been staying with her for the past few weeks, ever since she had her fall. Sylvie, her home help, comes in during the day, and I’m staying with her at night to keep an eye on her.’
‘Oh,’ he said, unable to hide his surprise that she couldn’t just move straight back in with him and have things return to normal.
‘I’m sorry, Dan, but I can’t just go and let her down. Mum has enough on her plate at the moment with Dad coming home from hospital hopefully in a few days’ time. I’m sure we’ll get something sorted, but for the moment I need to stay in Willow Grove.’
‘It’s OK!’ he said, smoothing the worry lines from her forehead.
Amy was relieved that he understood the chaotic state her family was in.
Trying to conquer his disappointment, Dan insisted on being a gentleman and calling over with her to her grandmother’s house the next night. Amy had told her grandmother that she would be a little late, with having to visit her dad first.
‘I’m sure that she’ll be gone to bed at this hour,’ remarked Dan, as it was past 10 p.m. when they arrived.
‘Gran’s a night owl,’ Amy laughed. ‘She doesn’t go to bed till all hours. She stays up watching late films or documentaries or listening to the radio. Some nights I have to come down and make her go to bed or she’d be up till dawn.’
Sure enough, they could see the light inside, and Dan agreed to come in to see Sheila and tell her their news.
Sheila Hennessy was engrossed in the forensic examination taking place in Las Vegas in one of CSI’s more gory episodes.
‘They always get their man!’ she nodded, riveted to the autopsy table and barely glancing up at them as they came into the kitchen-cum-breakfast room.
‘Gran, I’ve Dan with me,’ Amy explained. ‘We just wanted to tell you that everything is OK again, and that we are going to get married.’
‘I know that,’ the old woman said, turning around. ‘Amy, you told me that before, and I told you I’m going to wear my peach suit and the hat with the roses on it I bought in Harrods for your wedding.’
‘Sheila, that would be wonderful.’ Dan smiled and kissed her. ‘You’ll look beautiful.’
‘Would you two like a sherry or a drop of whiskey?’ Sheila asked, enjoying the flattery, and suddenly remembering her manners
Amy smiled to herself. Her grandmother had a great stash of alcohol in the sideboard ready for little tipples. She was always asking visitors to imbibe with her.
‘I’ll have sherry.’ Amy grinned, wanting to celebrate. She was getting partial to the sweet, sticky drink.
‘I’ll have a tot of whiskey with some water, as I’m driving,’ said Dan, studying the range of malt whiskeys Sheila had accumulated.
‘I’ll join you.’ Sheila smiled, and snapped off the TV. ‘I’ve seen that programme before.’
Over the next hour she entertained them with stories of family weddings she’d attended: the disasters, the hilarious, romantic and beautiful ones.
‘I think your Uncle David arriving at his wedding on his motor-bike all dressed in black leather, and that girlfriend of his, Anna, turning up wearing a white leather top and a white leather skirt with biker boots, and coming on a Harley, was one of the ones that really stood out.’
Amy couldn’t imagine her boring old Auntie Anna wearing leather, let alone riding a motorbike. Now all she did was knit big ugly chunky jumpers for her children and cook disgusting organic dishes made up of beans and lentils. A meal in Anna’s house always upset everyone’s stomach for days.
Amy remembered when her sister Ciara and herself were flower girls for her Cousin Terry’s wedding, and the excitement of it all. They had had to carry baskets full of rose petals and scatter them.
‘You can’t beat a family wedding!’ declared Sheila, pouring another sherry. ‘There are enough sad things in life: illnesses, goodbyes, moving house, losing jobs, or emigrating. That’s why this family believe in celebrating the good things when they happen. I saw Paddy today. Helen said that the doctor’s fixed his heart. Isn’t it amazing what they can do today? And what a celebration it will be when you two lovely people get married!’
Amy squeezed Dan’s hand. She didn’t want to wait another year, and there was no question of them running off to an exotic beach or far-flung destination to wed. Sheila Hennessy might be well into her eighties, but Amy wanted her beloved granny at their wedding.