“What can I do, Ma?” Maggie asked as she slowly descended the stairs, trailing a hand along the polished banister.
“You can peel the potatoes can’t you?” her mother asked, frustrated.
“She can but I can’t,” Colleen replied with a smirk. “I’m too little so she may as well let me play with her doll while she helps you.”
“Why so you can scalp her like you did yours?” Maggie asked wryly.
“Get in the kitchen, the both of you so I can keep an eye on you. Heavens, if your da doesn’t come home soon I may be packin’ a bag and goin’ on a business trip of my own,” she mumbled as she herded the girls through the swinging kitchen door.
* * *
They heard the familiar toot of the horn before the first potato was peeled and both girls shot out the back door. Maeve peeked out the window and smoothed her hair into place but stayed in the kitchen.
“Da, Da you’re home,” Maggie and Colleen screamed in unison as their father got out of the station wagon. “We thought you were never comin’ home.”
“Is that so?” Sean asked as he scooped up a daughter in each strong arm and headed up the sloped lawn to the porch. “Now why would you think a silly thin’ like that, I wonder.”
“Cause Ma said she was packing a bag and going on a trip herself,” Colleen tattled.
“Oh she did, did she? Have you been givin’ your ma a hard time while I’ve been away?” he asked suspiciously, looking from Maggie to Colleen.
“Not me, Da,” Maggie insisted, fiddling with the tiny buttons on her cardigan sweater. “But she did,” she announced pointing at Colleen. “She cut all the hair off her brand new doll and then got mad when I wouldn’t let her play with mine.”
“Is that true, Colleen?” Sean asked.
“Yes, Da, it’s true,” Colleen admitted with a woebegone expression. “But I didn’t mean to cut off all her hair. I only meant to give her a little haircut. Then it just kept getting shorter and shorter and pretty soon she was bald,” she wailed, throwing her arms around her father’s neck and sobbing.
“Never you mind about the hair,” Sean soothed. “I’m sure we can think of somethin’ to make her presentable.”
“Boys, anythin’ I should know before I go in and see your ma?” he asked, looking at his sons.
Patrick shook his head.
“No, Da,” Rory said, “but I think it might be best if you didn’t take any more trips for a while. Ma was pretty put out when you didn’t get home last night.”
“I’m not surprised, but it couldn’t be helped. Girls stay out here and let me talk to your ma for a few minutes,” Sean said, setting them down. “And try to behave,” he scolded mildly, looking each of his daughters in the eye until they nodded. “That’s my good lassies.
“Patrick, go and get my bags from the car, Rory’s mindin’ your sister. Has Bridget been a good wee lass?” he asked, leaning over the baby and lightly touching her hair.
“I guess so,” Rory sighed. “She eats, she sleeps, she cries and she poops. I don’t think she’s supposed to do much else.”
Sean laughed and ruffled Rory’s black hair. He found his wife in the kitchen peeling potatoes with her back to the door. Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.
“So you finally decided to come home,” she sniffed as she continued her work.
“I’m truly sorry, darlin’,” Sean said, kissing the top of her head. “I had to get John, Bridy and Irelynn to the airport in time for their flight. Then my meetin’ was supposed to be finished last night, but it carried over till this mornin’. Forgive me?” he whispered.
“Never.”
“Never is a long time,” he said, trying not to laugh.
“Aye, a very long time,” Maeve replied, pulling out of his arms and carrying her pot to the sink. Turning on the water, shebegan to wash the potatoes. “’Tis a shame they had to go back to Ireland. I’ll miss them and the girls will miss Irelynn. I think if Bridy’s ma hadn’t taken sick they’d have stayed.”
“Aye,” Sean agreed. “Now, what can I do to make it up to you, lass?” Sean mused following her.
“Let me pack a bag and go off on a three-day vacation,” she suggested, turning off the water.
Sean nudged her out of the way and picked up the heavy pan, setting it on the stove. Maeve crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, tapping her foot.
