Sive nodded. ‘She even mentioned the casting couch. As if we’re some kind of horrible impresarios making people shag us for parts in our plays.’
Mimi growled.
‘Though you did only promise to put Sam up for the part if he’d be your boyfriend,’ Aoife pointed out.
‘Fake boyfriend, though.’ Mimi sniffed. ‘It’d never stand up in court.’
They were interrupted by Mitch and Nina coming to offer Mimi their congratulations, and Sive drifted away.
‘Well, that was a surprise,’ Sam said, appearing at her side. ‘Or was it? Were you expecting it?’
‘No, not at all.’ Sive was annoyed to feel tears pricking the backs of her eyes again. She blinked rapidly to dispel them.
‘Are you okay?’ Sam frowned at her in concern.
She nodded, unable to speak, her throat aching. She could feel herself losing it, but she had no idea why she was so upset.
‘Hey,’ Sam said softly, putting an arm around her. ‘Want to get out of here for a minute?’ He jerked his head to the door, and Sive nodded rapidly.
They slipped out unnoticed amid all the excitement around Rocco and Mimi and left the cacophony of the living room, but found they weren’t alone in the hall. Cara and Orla were sitting on the stairs, sipping wine and talking in low voices, and Rocco’s brother-in-law was on his phone, pacing up and down as he talked.
‘Outside?’ Sam mouthed and Sive nodded.
They grabbed their coats and Sive led the way to the other side of the house and out to the garden. It was a chilly night, and she pulled her coat tighter around herself as she took a deep lungful of fresh air.
‘Sorry,’ she said to Sam, wiping her eyes as her tears subsided. ‘I don’t know what came over me in there.’
‘You do like Rocco, don’t you?’ Sam asked.
‘Of course! I love Rocco – he’s great – and I’m so happy for them, I really am. Though I know it doesn’t look like it right now,’ she added with a laugh.
‘But?’ Sam raised an eyebrow.
She heaved a sigh. ‘I don’t know,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘Aoife and Mimi are moving on… moving out. And I feel a bit… lost, I suppose,’ she admitted, feeling pathetic. ‘Like I’m being left behind.’ Her eyes had welled up again and she didn’t try to stop herself crying this time. It was a relief to let go and give in to her feelings, inexplicable as they were. Sam pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight as she let the tears flow. She wanted to get them out of her system before she went back into the living room. She didn’t want her sisters to see that she was upset, especially Mimi. She was genuinely delighted about the engagement, and this meltdown had taken her completely by surprise.
‘Hey,’ Sam said gently in her ear. ‘They’re your sisters. I know how close you three are. They’re never going to leave you behind.’
‘No, I know. You’re right,’ she sniffed, pulling away as the tears subsided. ‘But it won’t be the same.’ She took a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes.
Sam gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘That’s life, I guess.’
It wasn’t that she didn’t want Aoife and Mimi to move on, to fall in love and find happiness. But she would have liked if it hadn’t happened quite so soon – if the life they’d had up to now could have gone on just a little longer.
‘You don’t like change?’ Sam asked.
‘Honestly, I wouldn’t have said I had a problem with it until just now.’
‘Well, it’s a lot. It’s not long since you broke up with your boyfriend, and now this.’
Sam was right. There had been a lot of upheaval in her life recently – she’d broken up with Ben, Mimi had moved out, and it wouldn’t be long until Aoife did the same. Now Mimi was engaged. There was something so final and permanent about that, that meant things would never go back to the way they were. They were all good things – apart from Ben breaking up with her – but that didn’t make it easier to deal with. They were still big changes.
‘Sorry. I’m okay now. We should go back inside.’
‘Why don’t we stay out here for another while?’
‘Why? Is my face a mess?’
‘No.’ He gave her the softest, sweetest smile. ‘Your face is perfect.’
