No Ordinary Love

by Anita Notaro

  Two hours later, Myrtle rang. ‘I had to tell you straightaway.’ She sounded breathless. ‘Ronan’s just called in. He’s decided he wants to meet Lucas.’

  ‘That’s wonderful,’ I told her. I have to admit, I’d wondered if he’d have the courage to go through with it.

  ‘It’s all my prayers answered.’ She was close to tears by the sound of her.

  ‘Well, just let him take it at his own pace, that’ll be very important.’ I felt I had to urge caution. ‘This is a huge step for Ronan, so please be careful as a family not to put him under any more pressure than he’s under already.’

  ‘Of course, I’ll say that to my daughter as well. You’re a very wise young woman, do you know that?’

  ‘Not always.’ I laughed. ‘How will Ellen deal with all this, by the way?’

  ‘That was one of my worries. But you know, deep down, it’s what she’s always wanted. She adores the child, but she knows that, long term, it would be better for Lucas and for Ronan if they were together. But we’ll be keeping a very close eye on her, believe me. We’re very conscious of her role in the boy’s life.’

  ‘That’s good.’ We chatted for a while longer, then I had to go because Joan Lehane was holding for me. I promised Myrtle I’d keep in touch and wondered what the next conversation would bring.

  After we’d exchanged pleasantries, she got down to business.

  ‘I’ve spoken to Catherine, and she thinks it’s time to meet Denis, as long as I’m happy about it, so I was wondering if you could set it up?’

  ‘Sure. That’s great to hear.’ I knew Dinny would be over the moon. ‘When were you thinking?’

  ‘I’ll email you details, if that’s OK? Probably in a week or two. We’ll come and spend a weekend, and I can see my family; I hardly had a chance last time. So I might suggest, say, lunch on the Saturday. Would you join us?’

  ‘Yes, if you’d like me to, but wouldn’t I just be in the way?’

  ‘No, I think it would help. It might just be a bit awkward, especially in the beginning.’

  ‘OK, well then, what if I join you initially and then I can slip away if things are going smoothly? That’s supposing Denis is OK with all of this, of course.’ But I knew he’d be delighted with my support as well.

  ‘Great. Talk to you later in the week. I have your email address on the card you gave me.’

  We said goodbye, and I dialled Dinny’s number straightaway.

  ‘Joan wants to meet you, and she’s bringing Catherine,’ I told him, and part of me wished I’d been there to see his face.

  ‘What?’ He sounded gobsmacked. There was a silence, which I didn’t break, giving him a moment I knew he’d need. ‘Are you serious?’ he whispered finally. ‘She said that?’

  ‘She did. She rang just now.’

  ‘Well, isn’t that mighty altogether. When? Where? I’ll have to get a new suit.’ The old Dinny was back.

  ‘Hold your horses.’ I laughed. ‘It hasn’t been set up yet. She’s suggesting lunch one Saturday over the next few weeks.’ I filled him in, and he was like a child. ‘She’s asked me to join you. Would that be OK?’

  ‘What, sure aren’t you the one who organized this whole thing? I wouldn’t have gone without you,’ he bellowed, the way he always did when something was important. ‘I want you to be the first to meet my daughter.’ He didn’t say anything for a second, and I thought I heard him swallow hard. ‘Lulu, you’ve no idea what it’s like to say those two words out loud.’

  ‘Well, hopefully you’ll be introducing her to half of Wicklow before long.’ I smiled just hearing the emotion in his voice.

  ‘My God, I think I need to lie down. I haven’t had this much excitement in years.’ I was happy for him. He deserved it.

  I promised to ring him with all the details, and I left him planning a trip into Sean Connolly Menswear in Wicklow town to be ‘kitted out from head to toe’.

  Being knee-deep in happy families made me think about Emily, so I texted her to see how she was. She rang me immediately.

  ‘Do you think there’s anything else I can do?’ she wanted to know. ‘I just feel so sad all the time.’

  ‘I don’t think there’s much more any of us can do,’ I said gently. ‘Except wait, and hope that when Kitten’s had a chance to think about things, she just might change her mind. I’m sorry; I know this is not easy for you.’

  ‘I guess I just never saw it ending like this. I know you warned me and all that, but somehow I was so sure that once she saw me she’d be delighted. How wrong was I?’

  ‘She must have buried it all very deeply,’ I told Emily. ‘And maybe us turning up like that was just too big a shock initially. She might change her mind eventually and feel she owes it to you to meet you properly but, for the moment, all you can do is wait and see.’ I didn’t feel very hopeful though, she’d seemed so adamant.

  ‘Would a letter help, d’ya think?’

  ‘Hard to say, but somehow I doubt it. In some ways, maybe you not getting in touch again would make her feel you’re less of a threat. I think that was her big worry.’

  ‘If only she knew I wouldn’t hurt a fly – it’s just not in my nature to cause anyone any trouble.’ Emily sighed. ‘Surely she’d have known that just by looking at me?’

  ‘I think she would have ordinarily, but the circumstances weren’t really your normal everyday occurrence.’ Hearing her dejected voice, after Dinny’s excitement, brought me back down to earth with a bang.

  ‘I should have listened to you in the first place and not gone tearing in,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Well, at least she’s seen you, and she knows you want to meet her. Maybe once she thinks about it logically she’ll realize she overreacted.’

  ‘Yeah, I suppose,’ she said – but neither of us would be betting on it, I knew.

  I spent the next few hours writing up notes on all my clients. What with Ronan and his impending meeting with his son; Emily’s mother and her unwillingness to form a bond with her firstborn; and Denis’s possible new family, it seemed as if I was engrossed in parent-and-child relationships yet no nearer to sorting my own. Just as I was finishing up, my phone rang. It was Mike, I was delighted to see.

  ‘Am I interrupting some revolution in dog therapy?’ he asked when I answered.

  ‘No, actually, I seem to be deeply embedded in the lives of my four-legged friends’ families,’ I told him. ‘And they all seem to be connected with children, which is a bit surreal.’ I sighed. ‘No matter how hard I try, it’s the owners who are keeping me busy; the dogs are much less complicated.’

  ‘Well, I have a nice normal – by your standards anyway – referral for you,’ he said. ‘Our next-door neighbour has a parrot who’s been depressed since his owner’s husband died, almost a year ago. He’s plucked off all his feathers and has a twitch. I’m not lying.’

  ‘Oh, I’ve heard of that.’ I was immediately keen. ‘Parrots are among the most intelligent of pets. There is a medication used to treat depression in animals, you know.’

  ‘What, you mean Prozac for parrots, lithium for lizards?’ He laughed. ‘You’re kidding me, right?’

  ‘No, I’m deadly serious.’

  ‘Jesus, I should have known. Only you, Lulu. Only you.’ I could almost hear him scratching his head.

  ‘I’d be happy to advise your neighbour. Give her my number.’

  ‘Are you sure you’re not on something yourself?’

  ‘Just high on life, can’t you tell?’ I joked.

  ‘Well, Rita will be delighted. She cornered me last night on my way in the door. To be honest, I thought she’d been at the gin bottle. But believe me, the parrot is not a pretty sight, and Rita has had a bad year, so I promised to ask you about it,’ he said. ‘So, listen, are you going to Maddy’s launch party on Thursday?’

  ‘Are you crazy? Of course I’m going. It’s the most exciting thing to happen to me and Clodagh in years. Everyone’s going. Are you?’

  ‘Lou
is gave me no choice. Apparently, there’s some gorgeous actor he fancies who’s just been cast in the show and he’s convinced himself the guy is gay. So expect a lot of drama. Anyway, how about we meet you and Clodagh for a drink beforehand? I guess Maddy will be too busy.’

  ‘Yep, but Clodagh and I were planning to grab an early pizza; otherwise we’ll end up trollied. Fancy joining us? She knows this gorgeous little Italian in Temple Bar. I can ask her to change the booking to four.’

  ‘Perfect. What time? I’ll probably head into town straight from the office. I’ll leave the car there and walk over to join you.’

  ‘Cool, I’ll text you the time. I have a hair appointment, so I’ll be finishing early. This is a big night for me too, you know. My best friend is famous.’

  ‘Yeah, the show is getting a lot of publicity all right, and Maddy is featuring a fair bit. Is it any good, d’ya know?’

  ‘It really is, I’ve seen a few of the rushes, and Clodagh and I were on set one of the days.’ I was so excited for my friend. ‘Maddy deserves this more than anyone else I know.’

  ‘By the way, Pedro is behaving much better since he saw your vet. Did Louis tell you he does have a back problem?’

  ‘Yes, and I’m delighted we found out what the problem was. Good result.’

  ‘Any news on the Clodagh/Paddy Russell thing? Could I bring him along on Thursday?’

  ‘I haven’t had a second to chat about it to Maddy. Sorry. And d’ya know, I think Thursday’s not a good night. Clodagh will be too preoccupied.’

  ‘OK, it’s shaping up to be a good party anyway. As long as I stay away from trollied dollies I might even get home smelling only of aftershave. Bye.’ He was laughing as he hung up.

  I worked on, and it was an hour later than I expected when I was ready to leave the office. On impulse, I decided to indulge in a bit of late-night shopping so I left Pete snoozing away and headed for Dundrum town centre, where I bought a gorgeous purple dress in Harvey Nicks and shoes and a bag in House of Fraser, despite my earlier resolutions not to indulge. Passing through Bray later, I decided to treat myself to a pizza and have an early night. I was looking forward to Thursday and was in high spirits as I parked the bike and gathered up my purchases. Suddenly, Pete took off, barking madly, which gave me a real fright. I dumped my bags on the deck and, as I followed him, I heard a noise of someone scurrying off in the distance. It could have been an animal, but it sounded like footsteps. ‘Pete,’ I called, and he came immediately, tail wagging as if to say, ‘That got rid of him.’

  ‘Come on, there’s a good boy.’ I had no idea if the dog was simply reacting to some night creatures – Jack and Jill had warned me that there were rabbits about; most of their newly planted garden had suffered as a result.

  I let myself in and turned on the deck lights. Something wasn’t quite right. It took me a few seconds to figure it out, but then I realized that the place was not as I’d left it. A drawer was slightly open and there was a book on the floor. In my bedroom, the wardrobe where I kept most of my stuff looked different, as if someone had rifled through it, although I couldn’t be sure I wasn’t just paranoid by that stage. I rang Maddy, but her phone went straight to message. Clodagh answered immediately, however. ‘Call the guards, I’ll be there as quick as I can,’ she told me.

  ‘But I’m not—’

  ‘Lou, please, just do it. Based on what you said, someone’s been in. I’m on the way.’ She hung up and I did as instructed.

  Two young gardai, one male, one female, arrived almost straight-away. ‘We were in the town.’ Clare Grogan introduced herself and her colleague Tim Hynes. ‘Tell us what happened. Anything missing?’

  ‘That’s the odd thing – nothing appears to have been taken but my things aren’t where I left them,’ I told them. ‘Also, there’s no sign of a window broken or anything, so I’m worried that someone may have a key.’

  ‘These locks are used a lot, so a bunch of keys would undoubtedly have one that fits,’ Tim Hynes said. ‘You might consider getting a locksmith out.’

  Jack and Jill arrived then, having spotted the garda car coming down the lane.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Jill was out of breath.

  ‘Yes, come in.’ I explained what had happened, but by this time I was beginning to feel a bit stupid about making a fuss. Clodagh appeared shortly afterwards. ‘Don’t get stressed out: break-ins to mobile homes are very common in winter.’ Clare confirmed what I knew already. ‘Even though these are really chalets, people still see them as holiday homes and therefore think they’re empty in winter. Have you someone to stay with you tonight?’

  ‘Me,’ Clodagh offered.

  ‘Are you sure?’ I knew she was up to her tonsils in work.

  ‘Certain.’

  ‘OK so, that’s grand. And I’ll radio in all the details, and we’ll keep an eye on the place for the next few weeks, OK? We generally have a car in the area all night anyway, because the slot machines in the amusement places are easy targets. So we’ll include this place on our rounds; that way you can sleep easy,’ Tim Hynes told me. ‘Try not to worry. As Clare said, it was probably just an opportunist hoping to get some jewellery or small electrical items left behind. And ring this number if you discover anything missing, or even if you’re just nervous. There’s always someone on duty, and they’ll radio whoever’s out and about.’

  ‘Thank you, I appreciate it.’ I felt a bit stupid for taking up their time, but the others assured me I’d done the right thing.

  The gardai left after having been assured that no money or valuables were missing, although I had nothing of value in the van really, and most of my jewellery was simply fashion stuff. But about €200 in my bedside locker was still where I’d left it, so everybody reckoned the intruder had heard me arrive home.

  Jill put the kettle on, Jack went to get their bottle of whiskey to ‘liven up the coffees’ and Clodagh offered to stay as long as I needed her. Once again, I was delighted I had Pete, who seemed determined to protect me.

  34

  MADDY’S LAUNCH TURNED OUT TO BE JUST THE DISTRACTION I needed, because it gave me no time to think. Clodagh insisted on staying for a few days and went off next morning to collect her laptop and all her paraphernalia as well as her clothes and wash-bag.

  ‘I’m here for a while – no arguing, thank you. Although maybe we should stay in my place on Thursday? Let’s see what happens.’ It was typical Clodagh, and I was more than happy to have her boss me around.

  On Wednesday evening, we had a real girly night. Maddy came to stay, and we did face packs, eyebrows, the lot, all in our dressing gowns, then we opened ‘just the one’ bottle of bubbly to toast her big break. Clodagh headed off to bed shortly afterwards, because she was off for a run along the seafront at dawn, and Maddy refused to sleep in the ‘doll’s bed’ that was my second guest room and insisted on bunking in with me instead.

  ‘What are we like, the pair of us?’ She wriggled her feet in fleecy socks and sipped the hot chocolate I’d made her. ‘We’ve both had great success, yet here we are, sleeping in a caravan like the two urchins we are.’

  ‘Listen, you’re the star, not me, and once the series goes out you won’t be able to walk around Dublin without having to pose for photos.’ I marvelled at how little she’d really changed in all the years I’d known her.

  ‘And what about you? Are you happy? What I mean is, are you really content with your lot?’

  ‘Yep, I am.’ I was so glad to be able to say that. ‘I love my job and my life, and while I may not stay here for ever, what it’s taught me is that the simple life suits me. I always thought I needed lots of “stuff” to survive, but in fact I don’t.’

  ‘And what about your mum and Becky? You OK there?’

  ‘Yeah. Haven’t heard from either of them in ages, actually. And dealing with all these dysfunctional parent-and-child relationships has made me see I need to talk to Mum, tell her how I’ve felt all these years.’

  ‘Well,
I won’t ever let you take responsibility for any of that.’ Maddy shook her head. ‘It was your mother’s failure – you know that, don’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, finally I do,’ I told her. ‘Whatever happens, the parent has to be the one to sort it out, but I suppose not all of them face up to it. Just because we’re adults, it doesn’t make it any easier, I guess.’

  She sighed. ‘It’s as if the string that binds most families together got severed in your case.’

  ‘Well, the father thing would account for some of it, I suppose. And I’m just happy not to be trying so hard any more. You’ve kept me going too, so many times, don’t forget that.’

  ‘I’m so glad we became friends.’ She hugged me. ‘It’s going to be a great year for the three of us. Clodagh is flying, and you’re completely chilled and enjoying life and I’m riding high at the moment too.’

  ‘And has Ronan anything to do with it?’

  ‘I’m not sure actually. Initially I felt a strong connection, but he’s sort of, I dunno, pulled back a bit lately. But then so have I. Work’s been all-consuming. I’d say it could go either way with him and, to be honest, I don’t really know what I want. Besides, there’s a cute new director on the show who’s taking a lot of interest in my performance.’ She giggled and stretched her furry toes. ‘I’ll introduce you to him tomorrow and you can tell me what you think.’

  ‘Can’t wait.’ I finished my camomile tea and snuggled down under the duvet. ‘Mike’s going, by the way. We were supposed to meet him beforehand, but he texted me today to say he had a late meeting and would have to drop out, but he’d see us all there.’

  ‘I sense great times ahead for you two.’ Maddy winked. ‘Can I be bridesmaid?’

  ‘Idiot, you know we have that pact already.’ I prodded her under the covers then switched off the bedside lamps. ‘Although how you sense great times ahead when he just cancelled dinner with me is beyond my comprehension.’ I laughed and we both settled down.

  ‘I do like him more as time goes on, though,’ I said into the pitch-black hole that was night-time in the country. ‘He sort of gets me, I suppose. It’s like I’ve known him for ever.’