Page 44 of Coming Home to Inishbeg Cove

‘That’s the thing. I just don’t know. Last week I would have said having my little family back together was the thing I wanted most in the world, but this week I’m not sure. I have so many worries, like what if he does this to me again?’

‘There are no guarantees in life. If you do want to give your marriage another shot, then you have to trust that it’ll all work out the way it’s supposed to.’

‘I don’t know what to do. I feel I owe it to my marriage to try again – especially for Lucy’s sake. I just wish someone would tell me the right thing to do.’

‘There’s no right or wrong in love. You have to follow your heart and put your trust in it to lead you along the right path.’

‘You’re right.’ I sighed and glanced at my watch. It was a quarter past two. ‘I’d better go. Mam will probably be putting Joe through the third degree.’ I leant forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. ‘Thank you, Ruairí.’

‘For what?’ He was taken aback.

‘For listening to me. You’ve been such a good friend to me since I came home.’

Ruairí blushed. I left him alone and went into the kitchen to grab my jacket and bag.

‘Will I see you tomorrow?’ he asked, handing me a loaf of still-warm Guinness bread.

‘As long as you still need me and I’m here in the village, I’m all yours. And when I go back to Dublin, I won’t leave you in the lurch. I’ll give you plenty of notice.’

‘Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. You have to look after yourself.’

‘See you tomorrow then,’ I called and stepped outside the door, carrying the paper bag containing the bread, my mind in a whirl. I breathed in the salty air, pulling it deeply into my lungs, and suddenly collided with something hard.

‘Oh God, sorry!’ I said. I stepped back, startled when I realised it was Tadgh.

‘I thought you’d already be finished,’ he mumbled.

‘I got held up…’

He had obviously been trying to avoid me by leaving it later to get his coffee. He nodded and went to move around me to go into the café.

‘Tadgh – wait. I need to explain—’

‘No, you don’t, it’s okay,’ he said.

‘Please, hear me out. Joe just turned up without telling me. I had no idea he was coming. I’m so sorry.’

He pursed his lips, nodding. ‘Hey, you need to prioritise your family, you’ve a child together. I get that.’

I nodded. A silence fell over us like a cloak, leaving us standing there awkwardly under its weight. There was nothing left to say.

‘Well, I’d better get on,’ Tadgh said, pushing open the café door before pausing and turning back to face me. ‘Look, if I don’t see you before you go back to Dublin, then I hope it all works out for you, Penny. I really do. I hope you and Joe will be very happy together.’ Then he walked into the café – and out of my life for the second time.