‘No, no, no,’ Meg says. ‘It was my fault. I was asking about your dad.’
I turn to face her. ‘What?’
Meg sits on her hands. ‘OK, I know this is going to make me sound like a stalker, but I’m a massive fan of his work.’
‘For real?’
Meg dead-eyes me. ‘Exactly how many award-winning photographers do you think there are from round here?’
‘I guess.’
‘He’s brilliant. His early work especially. The photos he took of the women in Iraq are framed in our politics classroom. Their passion and anger. He really just dropped out of uni and headed there to take photos?’
Dad really does love to cut and run.
‘Yep.’
Meg pulls her chair closer. ‘And that shot of the little boy in Palestine, the horror and trauma in his eyes. The emotions he was able to capture in people. Those stories. He made something of himself, of his art. That’s what I want.’
I pick at my thumbnail. ‘Yeah, well, he’s not been much of anything recently.’
‘From what I hear, sounds like your da’s a bit of a dick too?’
I snort. ‘Yeah, a bit, to be fair.’
Meg shrugs. ‘Most people are.’
‘Except you, of course.’
‘Oh no, I’m the worst. Queen of the dicks!’
‘I thought you didn’t like labels?’
‘Well played.’ She takes my hand again. ‘But I think you might be OK.’
‘Likewise.’
‘All right then!’ Cormac announces. ‘Tea for the lady, beer for my bro.’ He clocks us holding hands. ‘Oh, did I interrupt something?’
Meg places her other hand on mine. ‘I proposed.’
Cormac sets down the drinks. ‘Nice one. Did you say yes?’
I smile. ‘Of course.’
‘Cheers to that,’ says Cormac, and we clink our drinks together.
‘What you celebrating?’ asks a beautiful blonde girl, plonking a plastic glass of white wine on the table.
‘All right, Ellen. Meg is going to marry my cousin Michael.’
Ellen frowns.
Meg strokes my shoulder. ‘It’ll be a winter wedding and the theme is coastal fury.’
Ellen rolls her eyes. ‘You’re mad, Meg. Nice to meet you, Michael.’
As Cormac and the others start talking about Ellen’s new car, I’m distracted by the twinkling lights over the city. There, in the middle of the town, is a bright light shooting up in the air. It must be a stadium, or could it be a riot? I turn to ask Meg and my throat constricts slightly as I see Paul standing there, grinning at something Cormac is saying.
