Page 29 of Beneath the Quiet

“Ready?”

I beam at her. “Ready.”

“Let’s go, then.”

She sets the car in drive and then we’re off.

After parking the car at Merchants Quay, we head to the café where Roísin has booked us a table. It feels great being out and about with her. She chatters a mile a minute, but even though we seem to be exact opposites, I’m enjoying her taking the lead. I admire people who can be so open and friendly even to strangers.

We enter a lavish café with a minimalistic, Scandinavian vibe to it, but it’s welcoming and homey, despite the lush interior. Roísin rattles off her name to the server who greets us and we’re shown to a table right by the windows where we can people-watch while enjoying our brunch. We take off our coats and hang them on the stand at the back of the room before we sit down. The server comes back towards us, a polite smile gracing her lips.

“Tea or coffee, ladies?” she asks.

“Coffee,” we reply in unison, and she laughs.

“Got it. I’ll bring that to you right away.”

We thank her, and I sigh. Roísin rests her elbows on the table and leans towards me.

“So, Maeve…”

My lips twitch in amusement. “Yes, Roísin?”

“Why did you move to Cloonmara?”

“You get straight to the point, don’t you?”

She preens. “Well, people always say I take after my grandmother, and you know what she’s like.”

“I’m not surprised you asked,” I admit and mirror her pose. “I’m more surprised that you’re the first person to outright ask me.” I tap a finger on my lips to gather my thoughts and steady my breathing. Roísin frowns and shoots her arm out to my hand, glittery bangles jingling softly, and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“It’s okay. I might as well rip off the band-aid.” I let out a humourless laugh. “You know that I used to work in Dublin, yeah?”

She nods vigorously. “Did you catch a lot of bad guys?”

I laugh in earnest this time. “Yes, I did. I was bloody brilliant.”

The server interrupts us and sets down coffee cups and the menus. “I’ll be back to take your order soon.”

We nod in thanks. Roísin lifts the coffee pot and pours my cup. “Go on.”

I open my mouth, the words on the tip of my tongue, ready to blurt out the truth. My psychologist has told me repeatedly that I have to open up about my injury, but now that the time’s come, a tight vice is clutching at my insides. I can’t say the words. But I don’t want to lie to Roísin, either. Not when she’s making such an effort to be my friend.

Instead, I choose my words carefully.

“I got hurt while on duty, and I had to take a long leave of absence because of it.”

“How bad was it?” she prompts.

“Pretty bad,” I whisper around the lump in my throat. “I was in hospital for a few weeks and still have both the mental and physical scars to carry with me every single day. My boss thought a change of scenery when I got back would be best for me, so when this job came up, I applied for a transfer.” My nose stings, and I sniffle as tears well up in my eyes. “One day, I’ll tell you the full story, but can we leave it for now? Please?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

She lets go of my hand and leans back. I glance out the window and count silently to twenty to get the tears under control. Once the knot in my stomach disappears, I glance back at Roísin. There’s a softness and understanding in her eyes that chases the final tension away.