Louis was asleep in an armchair by the fire when Cat put the children to bed. After she returned to the room, she picked up the paper he had dropped and began to read. The fire crackled noisily as it ravaged the coal and Cat basked in its warmth as she tried to concentrate
But her mind was elsewhere, and after a while she let the paper fall, deciding to just sit and think. She looked across at Louis, his mouth slightly open, arms dangling over the sides of his chair. Not a sound came from outside as all families had closed their doors to the outside world, spending Christmas Day at home.
Cat thought about their last Christmas. They had all been together in Fethard, had gone to Midnight Mass as a whole family and everything had seemed perfect. Then there was that dreadful night of New Year’s Eve and her desperate fight with death when Eileen had been born.
She couldn’t remember much about the immediate events after the birth, but it had been a long slow road back to health. Just as she could have recovered fully, she discovered Louis had lied to her about busking in the street and she had run away. It was Mary who had encouraged her to forgive Louis, and now she was dead.
As a family they would not be celebrating Christmas together this year, so Cat, Louis and the children had stayed in England. It was all too painful. Maeve and Ned would have gone to Midnight Mass last night Cat knew, probably with Tom and Norah.
She ran her hand across her swollen tummy. Less than four months to go now, she thought. If it was a girl they couldn’t call her Mary because they had already had Marie. She would like to call the baby Ellie, but felt it would upset her remaining sisters, so she would have to decide on something different. If it was a boy they could call him Edward after her father. The baby moved inside her and she stroked her tummy, trying to soothe the child’s movements. Eileen will be one next week, she reflected.
Her eyes wandered across to Louis again and she sat studying him. His hair had fallen across his forehead untidily and his shirt was undone. It was good to see him relax.
Today, she thought, though it had been quiet, had really been rather nice, just the four of them. Next year there would be five.
Louis stirred in the chair, mumbled something and continued to sleep as Cat sat contentedly staring into the flames.