“By all accounts…accurate.” Brandon chuckles as he pats his face with a napkin.
At least I can make him laugh—for now. I have a feeling I’ll fade to the background once the whirlwind that is Ellenor arrives.
Sean leans a knuckle on the table. “And you, Lily…big night, yeah? Warm-up set at the café?”
I blink. “Yes. How did you—?”
“Brandon, of course. He seems to think you’re the real deal. I might have to get you to play here sometime. See if I can steal you off your man, Willoughby.”
“He’s not my man.”
Sean laughs, palms up. “It’s just a turn of phrase.”
I feel my cheeks heat. “Right. Sorry—Australian ears.”
“Can’t be helped. Still, if he’s smart, he’ll hold on to you before we Irish win your heart.”
It’s not exactly an offer to let me play here, but the sentiment sends a thrill of excitement through me all the same. “Sure.”
“Can you please not flirt with my guest?” Brandon drawls.
“Well, someone has to flirt with her, even if it’s a forty-something bugger like me.” He grins and moves on.
I glance at Brandon, who is looking nowhere in particular, jaw tense. The amber light makes his face look flushed, though I suspect that’s irritation more than anything else. I try not to dwell on it.
The silence thickens.
My phone buzzes on the table like a lifeline.
“It’s Mum,” I say, and Brandon nods as I duck into the short hallway by the toilets.
“Hi, love. Has Ellenor arrived yet?”
“Not yet. I’m at the pub with Brandon, waiting.”
“Text me when she gets there.”
“I will.” When the silence lingers, I ask, “Was there something else?”
“Yes, there is. Darling, can you…keep an eye on her?”
I frown. “On Ellenor? Of course. Why?”
“I’m concerned about her. Quitting her job like that. Work was always her way of coping, ever since…”
I tense, remembering the day Ellenor came home from uni, teary-eyedand in shock after learning she was pregnant. Young and alone. She was only been one year into her law degree, single, and not at all prepared for motherhood.
She struggled endlessly with what to do, the weeks turning into months, until the day she first felt the baby move. Her apprehension instantly gave way to quiet joy. She glowed.
Her old room at Mum and Dad’s was transformed into a nursery. She brought her things home from campus. The house buzzed with excitement for her.
But near the end…everything changed.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “But that was years ago. She was nineteen.”
“Ten years since it happened, love.”
I cover my mouth. “You mean it’s the anniversary?”
