invited them. I hope I don’t come across as rude but I’m uncomfortable with all the attention, it makes me nervous. It reminds me of that dreadful day when all those strangers were firing questions at me. Questions I couldn’t answer.
Eventually the salon quietens, and I’m wondering whether there will be any young people at the christening. I do hope Conor made a contribution to the guest list. I mentioned it to my colleagues at Imanage but I don’t expect any of them to take up the offer. It’s a bit far to come for a party. Bridge or no bridge.
Back at the house, cars and vans hog the driveway. O’Rourke Flowers, Barry’s Party balloons, Ballycall Party Supplies, the list goes on. Maggie has managed to spread our custom across most of the small businesses associated with the village.
I push my way past two young lads that I recognise from the club. They’re carrying kegs. Caldwell Beer, of course. I hope that’s not the only choice of alcohol. If I’m gonna make it through the day, I’ll need something stronger.
Inside the house, Maggie is directing everyone where to put things. Her hands are flailing through the air as she tells some young girl how to hang lights across the back wall. Why she wants lights, I don’t know, the party should be well over by the time it gets dark. But I leave her to it and go up to the bedroom where Conor is taking care of Shay.
‘You look lovely,’ he says when I open the door. He is sitting on the bed with Shay lying across his knees.
‘He likes this,’ Conor says, lifting his knees in the air a few inches and smiling. Shay is not reacting at all. He’s too young. I don’t want to disappoint Conor, so I just say, ‘Ahhhh.’
‘How’s the show unfolding downstairs?’ he says.
‘I think it’s a bit much for a christening party myself but sure we gave her the reins. We can’t interfere now.’
Holding Shay against his chest Conor stands. ‘I guess we should be grateful she’s organising the party. I wouldn’t have the patience for that sort of stuff, especially now.’
‘Oh, don’t get me wrong, Conor, I’m very grateful. I could never pull that off. I’m glad she’s running the show.’
I don’t want Conor to get the wrong impression. I’m not ungrateful. It’s just I never wanted all this fuss and certainly not so soon after having the baby. Maybe if it was in three months’ time like we had agreed, before Noel’s great escape scuppered the plan, I’d be happy with all the fuss. But now, and with everything going on, I’d be just as happy with a cake and a bottle of wine. A handful of people and an early night.
‘I know it all happened very quickly, Laura,’ Conor says, pulling the handle on the door, ‘but it will be all over by tomorrow night and we’ll be able to get back to normal.’
Conor closes the door behind him leaving the word ‘normal’ hanging in the air. A shiver runs down my spine.
Chapter Forty-Three
Amanda is the first through the door, bright and early like she promised. She’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt, her oyster pink dress dangling in plastic covering over her arm. Amanda plants a kiss on my face before dropping everything onto a chair and heading over to the crib.
‘How’s my favourite godson?’ she asks. I’m about to say something about him being her only godson, but I stop.
‘What time is the church?’ She turns her head to look at me.
‘Eleven thirty, but we’ve to be there about a quarter past.’
‘Grand, I’ll head up and get changed in a little while.’
When I first moved into the house, Amanda claimed one of the bedrooms as her own. She even has some clothes and cosmetic stuff housed in it. Sometimes, when I get lonely, I go into the room to remind myself that Amanda is not far away if I need her. But I haven’t gone in for a while. Shay has completely filled that hole.
The little man knew something was going down when he woke at six this morning. He cried for almost an hour. No amount of rocking or bottles would stop him. Eventually I placed him in the buggy and pushed him down the garden. I tried to get a peek through the forest to see if there was any life coming from Pat’s cottage but I couldn’t see the cottage from where I was, and