Are You Ready?

by Amanda Hearty

  Ali felt sorry for the priest, but was too busy at work to stay chatting to her mum. This morning she had a big meeting with two other solicitors and an official from the Department of Family Affairs. Paddy Fleming’s case was really looking up. Ali had put in long hours and it had paid off; the solicitor that Paddy had had before her had been doing the work pro-bono, too, and hadn’t looked into the details of the case properly at all. Ali knew this meeting today could end up with Paddy getting more access to his children and more joy back in his life. Even though Robin had complained he hadn’t seen Ali properly for the last few weeks, Ali thought that with all her luck and happiness at getting married it was only right she should help someone less fortunate. And, as she kept reminding Robin, they would have the whole honeymoon to catch up! Ali quickly grabbed her case file and headed downstairs, where the meeting was about to start. Paddy had bought a new suit, and at Ali’s suggestion had cut his hair. He looked very presentable. As they entered the room she squeezed his hand.

  ‘Trust me, this will work out. You will see your kids soon.’

  After two and a half hours Ali and Paddy were finally able to relax. The Department of Family Affairs agreed Paddy had a case, and a very successful family law specialist, Ray Moore, had said he would take the case over from Ali, now that she would be away for a few weeks. They still weren’t guaranteeing Paddy full access, but it was a start. Ali walked the men to the door, and as she said goodbye to Ray Moore, he handed her his business card.

  ‘You have done great work here, Ali. I’m sure you are very settled here in this firm, but if you would like a career helping the less fortunate, give me a call. Now, you won’t make the money like all these private solicitors, but will sleep easy at night knowing you are making a difference.’

  Ali thanked him, and as she stared at the card decided that the minute she was back from America she would give him a call. She had entered law to do work like this, and the last few weeks, although hard, had given her great pleasure. She could also do with never seeing her boss Mary again! And, anyway, she thought, change never hurt anyone.

  She walked Paddy to the bus stop, and as she gave him a hug he said: ‘Ali, I can’t thank you enough. Robin is a lucky man to have found you. Good luck on the big day. I got you something small, I hope you like it.’

  Ali took the small package from her client, opened it, and was surprised to find a Christmas tree decoration inside.

  ‘I know Christmas is a long time away, but when the kids were small I started buying them each their own inscribed ornaments, and you should have seen their excitement each year as they hung their own piece on the tree. Maybe you will start that tradition in your family, too.’

  Ali looked at the silver star. Paddy had inscribed it with her and Robin’s names and their wedding date.

  ‘It is beautiful, Paddy, thank you so much.’ Paddy walked off quickly, but Ali stared at his thoughtful gift for a long time.

  113

  Molly was busy trying to help her aunt in the café, and get herself organized for her biggest catering job yet. She was heading down to Kilkenny the next day for Ali and Robin’s wedding. Her cousin Eve was going to come down to help with the cooking, but even so Molly felt the pressure was really on her. Although Ali was her friend, and kept reassuring her that she was sure Molly would do a good job, Molly also knew that a wedding was the biggest day in people’s lives, and she didn’t want to mess it up. As she put some scones into the oven her aunt came into Heavenly.

  ‘Molly,’ her aunt said, ‘I know you are busy today, but Sterling Bank rang this morning, and asked if, when you drop over their sandwiches, you could also drop over a selection of cakes or buns, as someone is leaving work there today. Do you think you will have time to do it? They need you there by twelve.’

  Molly looked at the time.

  ‘Yes, the sandwiches won’t take long, and I can take over some scones, eclairs and caramel slices. I’m fine with it.’

  ‘Thanks, pet,’ said her aunt, as she put on her own apron and the two women got down to work.

  By twelve Molly was entering Sterling Bank with a very large basket in her arms.

  ‘Little Red Riding Hood, what have you got in that basket of yours?’

  Molly turned, and saw Scott.

  ‘Let me help you,’ he said. He took the large basket from petite Molly, and they headed upstairs.

  ‘Thanks,’ Molly said. ‘So who is leaving?’ she asked.

  ‘It’s someone who works for me, actually, a very nice young girl, and a hard worker. She has decided to follow her boyfriend to Australia for the year. I advised against it, as not only is her career going very well here, but she is only going because she suspects he is cheating on her.’

  ‘That’s awful,’ said Molly as they got into the lift.

  ‘Yes, the poor girl told me about it the night of that summer barbecue. I spent an hour trying to talk her out of it, but she’s stubborn, and insists on going. So all I can do now is wish her well.’

  Molly thought back to the barbecue and realized that that must have been the girl that she had seen Scott with. So that hadn’t been his girlfriend after all. It all made sense now.

  ‘So, how is work with you?’ he asked, sneaking a peek at all the cakes and sandwiches.

  Molly filled him in on Ali’s wedding, and before she knew it she was telling him her fears about messing the food up, or giving everyone food-poisoning. The more she got to know Scott the more she realized that, even though he still ate exactly the same boring sandwich every day, he was easy to talk to. He listened intently to her anxieties, before giving her a quick pat on the back.

  ‘Molly, I eat your food every day and all you have given me has been a lot of pleasure and a bigger waistline. Believe in yourself: you are a great cook, and your friend is lucky to have you working for her.’ Before Molly could reply the lift opened, and Scott was greeted by a secretary asking him to sign off on some document, so she took the basket from him and made her way alone into the large open-plan office. There she saw the girl from the barbecue, who was now being hugged and wished bon voyage by everyone. Molly put down her basket and started setting the cakes and treats out on paper plates. When she finished she headed back to the café, intending to collect the basket later.

  After a busy day at work, and at least a hundred phone calls to Ali, Molly, Eve and Fran were cleaning up the kitchen and getting ready to go home, when Molly heard a knock on the door. She wiped her hands on her apron and opened it. Outside stood Scott Williams, with Heavenly’s basket in his hand, except that instead of being empty, it was filled with tulips: pink, red, purple and white ones. Molly gasped.

  ‘Before you say a word, Molly, I want to tell you something,’ Scott said. ‘For months you have been delivering my sandwich to me every day, and every day I’ve fancied you more and more. But I just didn’t know what to do about it. I always presumed you had some equally successful chef boyfriend and I was just a boring banker to you. Well, I’ve decided I need a change. A change of sandwich and a change from being single. Molly, I know you are off to that wedding tomorrow, and are probably up to your eyeballs in work, but I just wanted you to know that.’

  He handed her the basket. Molly looked at him, and thought of the compliments he always paid her cooking, and how he had invited her to the barbecue, and given her a lift home when she was upset over Luke. She realized that right here, under her nose, a nice guy had been interested in her for ages, and she had been too busy being upset about Luke, or chasing men at rock gigs to notice. She smiled.

  ‘Well, Mr Williams, for starters you are right.’ She noticed what great eyes he had. ‘Your sandwich will have to change. Even if we just had Ballymaloe relish instead of mustard. Or maybe I could tempt you with some salami.’

  ‘Salami I could do.’ Scott smiled.

  Molly’s stomach was full of butterflies, and even though she was at a loss about what to say to Scott, she leant forward and gave him a quick hug.
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br />   ‘You know, I always did have a thing for Mr Benn,’ she whispered, and Scott started laughing.

  Inside the café Eve was just turning off the lights and handing her mum the keys when she stopped and saw Molly and Scott outside the big window.

  ‘Finally!’ she said. ‘I knew he had it in him. You always said, Mum, that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. And you were right!’ And with that Heavenly closed for the day, but Molly didn’t even seem to notice, she was walking up the road, chatting to Scott and starting to get to know him properly.

  114

  Sarah walked out of the Stone Studio. She was off to Kilkenny the next day and had been busy all day leaving notes for Clodagh and getting the gallery tidy for the usual busy weekend visitors. She was meeting her sister Mel after work to discuss the whole ‘Hugh situation’. After changing into her runners and cut-off jeans Sarah was ready, and made her way to the pier. They both got an ice-cream in Teddy’s and sat down on a bench overlooking the water.

  ‘How do you feel?’ asked Mel. Sarah stared at the boats bobbing on the water.

  ‘I don’t know, Mel. I mean, in one way I’m so sad not to see Hugh again, but then there is a part of me that knows it was the right thing to do. But I feel so cold and clinical for even reducing our relationship to such a statement as “the right thing to do”. I do still wish I could have it all but that’s not going to happen.’

  Mel gave her sister a hug.

  ‘It will all work out, Sarah, I promise. And I know I shouldn’t say this but I’m glad you didn’t go. I would have missed you so much, and so would John and Fiona.’

  Sarah smiled and licked her ice-cream.

  ‘Did you ring Maggie to say that now you are not going to Galway you can work full-time in the gallery again?’

  ‘No, Mel, I didn’t. I need some kind of change, and the one thing Hugh and then Ali’s wedding invite has opened me up to is being an artist again, not just selling other people’s work. So I’m going to start working part-time next week, and try to earn a living as a painter. Clodagh is delighted to get the extra hours and Maggie has big plans for exhibitions of my work. I’m still nervous, but I need something new, and now that I’m single and definitely not buying a house a new career is as good as any change.’

  ‘That sounds fab, Sarah. My sister the famous artist! Great stuff. I had better buy some of your work now, while I can still afford it.’

  The girls started walking down the pier.

  ‘When Tom heard you were painting again he told me he wanted to buy a picture for his apartment,’ Mel said. ‘He is a philistine and knows nothing about art, totally unlike Hugh. But I do know that he thinks you are great, and am sure he would give you a good price.’

  ‘Has he found someone to move in with him yet?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘No. He asked again if you wanted to, but I told him about Galway and all. But then, it was funny because last night, when he was over for dinner and I was telling the boys about you and Hugh breaking up, he actually seemed relieved that you were not going to Galway. John said he thinks Tom has always had a crush on you, but you being my sister made it a bit awkward for him. Of course I didn’t tell John you used to fancy Tom as well. I know that was all years ago, but you never know, Sarah. Maybe something will happen. If it did, John and I would love it.’

  Then Mel started telling Sarah all about Fiona’s eating habits, but Sarah couldn’t concentrate. Yes, she had only broken up with Hugh a day ago, but she couldn’t help wondering if Tom really had cared about her moving to Galway.

  115

  The night before the wedding everyone had arranged to meet in Hennessy’s, the pub near Ali’s house. There was a big spread there, and Ali’s dad was right in the middle of it all, welcoming everyone to Kilkenny. Ali had been busy all day, trying to get the house, marquee and herself all ready for tomorrow. It still all felt very surreal to her: surely it was impossible that tomorrow she would be a married woman! She had tried to talk to Robin all day, but with all their relations and friends ringing and arriving it had been difficult to exchange more than a few words. Robin was staying in a local hotel, and then tomorrow night they were both going to stay in the bridal suite of the nearest five-star hotel.

  Ali was staying off drink tonight, but as she sipped on 7 Up, Robin was knocking back Guinness after Guinness, with seemingly everyone buying him pint after pint to help him celebrate his last night as a single man. It was only 7 p.m. and already Robin and the lads were singing and recalling old school days. Ali kept trying to remind him they still had some work to do that evening, but Robin was too busy drinking. Ali got a call from her mother saying her sisters were not fast enough with the table arrangement flowers, and that they were ruining the ribbon with their inexperience. Ali realized she had to go home to help, so she went outside to ring her mum, and said she would be home in five minutes. While out there she got a another call from her sister Jill saying that she had just checked the marquee and the party hire men had left the tables and chairs all stacked, and how was she supposed to lift them all into place herself ? Ali put her phone down and felt a few tears roll down her face. She had underestimated how much work they had left to do. Just then Sarah and Molly arrived at the pub, but when they saw Ali looking so dishevelled and upset, they ran over.

  ‘What’s happened?’ Sarah asked.

  Ali explained, and before she could even finish the two girls were pushing her towards the car.

  ‘We will come and help you, we can do the flowers. And Sarah, maybe you can grab a few guys to help with the marquee table and chairs,’ Molly said.

  ‘No, Molly, you have been working on the food all day, you deserve the night off,’ said Ali.

  ‘It is no problem, Ali, tomorrow is the biggest day of your life, so do not worry about it. You need to relax.’

  Sarah ran into the pub, and went up to Robin to explain about the marquee, but he had people hugging and talking to him the whole time, and seemed to have had a good bit to drink, so instead Sarah looked round the bar, and suddenly saw Ali’s friend, Laura.

  ‘Hi Laura,’ she asked, ‘do you know many of these guys? I need some of them to help us with the marquee.’

  Sarah explained about the flowers, tables and chairs, and Laura, understanding the urgency, agreed to help.

  ‘You go with Ali,’ she said. ‘We’ll meet you back at the house. I’ll get some of the guys.’

  Ali, Molly and Sarah all headed back to the house, while Laura scanned the bar for nice, burly, yet not-too-drunk men. She spotted Ben O’Connor, who she hadn’t even realized had been invited. He waved and made his way over to her; he seemed nervous and tried to make small chat. He had a pint in his hand, but Laura could see it was almost full and he was sober, so getting her courage up she asked him if he’d help her.

  ‘I don’t want to upset Ali’s dad by telling him the marquee is not ready, and I want him to enjoy his night, but we do need to find a few more guys.’

  ‘No problem, Laura,’ and with that Ben grabbed a few of the lads, and after he filled them all in, they put down their pints and headed for the farm and marquee.

  When they got to the marquee Laura was surprised at how organized Ben was, he soon had all the guys lifting tables and chairs in military style, while Laura looked at the table plan and tried to work out which tables should go where. Laura and Ben worked well as a team and before long the room started to take shape. And despite Ali’s twenty-year-old sister Jill swooning over Ben, thanking him profusely for helping the family, Ben seemed only to have eyes for Laura. Laura didn’t know if she was imagining it, but Ben seemed to have grown up a lot since they briefly dated, so when he asked her if she wanted a lift back to the pub so they could get a drink, she accepted. She hadn’t forgotten that he’d hurt her before, but tonight he was being a perfect gentleman.

  Meanwhile, in Ali’s family home it was like a sweatshop. Ali’s mum had set up a production line, and now that her sisters had been fired fro
m it, Ali, along with Sarah and Molly, was now cutting ribbons and trimming roses. She was trying to relax, but was disappointed that Robin was out having fun while she was stressed and trying to make countless table arrangements. As the girls sat at the large kitchen table they chatted and caught up. Molly filled them in on Scott, and even though she didn’t know what would happen they were all very excited. Even Ali’s mum said that he sounded like ‘a keeper’. Sarah told them all about Hugh, and even though she didn’t mean to get upset, she couldn’t help thinking how Ali was getting married and Molly had just met someone and she was back to being single and lonely again. But she held herself together, and instead changed the subject to her new career path, and they were all delighted, especially Ali. She said again that the moment Sarah had designed her invite she’d known that Sarah should go back to being an artist. The flower arrangements were looking great, and Ali took some photos for her wedding scrap-book. As they finished them off, Ali’s mum opened a bottle of champagne and started telling all the girls about the day Ali was born, and how, even though they loved Robin, the family would miss having Ali all to themselves.

  It ended up being a lovely evening, and as they carried the flowers into the marquee and set them on to the tables Ali looked around the farm, the family farm that she had grown up on, and loved. She thought that tonight was the last night she would just be someone’s daughter. Tomorrow she and Robin would be a family of their own. It was a lot to take in, but when they got to the marquee, surrounded by mooing cows, Ali’s mind went into wedding mode, and she and the girls started setting the table-numbers and place-names. The room really started to feel perfect, and as Ali tested the fairy lights she saw how the room would look the following night and started to get properly excited. Tomorrow was her wedding day!