Page 54 of Family Secrets in Inishbeg Cove

‘Where are you, Mum?’ Lucy asked. ‘We thought you’d be here by now.’

‘I’m really sorry, but I’m afraid I’m not going to make it.’

Lucy’s heart thudded to the floor like an elevator whose tension cables had snapped.

‘Y-you’re not coming?’ Faith stammered. She had been adamant that their mother would come.

‘I’m still in the office. Something has come up here. We’ve a new client’s sale campaign ready to go live on St Stephen’s Day but it has been glitching during testing, so I offered to stay in the office and be on standby in case there are any issues.’

‘On Christmas Day?’ Lucy asked in disbelief. Surely no company would expect someone to sacrifice their family and friends at Christmas time.

‘I’m new in this job and I need to prove myself, so I put my hand up. I want them to know that I’m dedicated and am one hundred per cent committed,’ Madeleine added proudly.

‘What about showing dedication and commitment to your family?’ Lucy barked.

‘Can’t you do it remotely?’ Faith suggested, ever the peacemaker. ‘You could bring your laptop with you.’ It wouldn’t be ideal, but they would much rather have their mother present, even if she was distracted by work, than not have her with them for Christmas Day.

‘I need access to all the company systems, and I wouldn’t have that in Inishbeg Cove. The internet down there is a nightmare at the best of times.’

‘I can’t believe you’re doing this to us, Mum!’ Lucy cried. ‘You promised! You promised we’d have a Christmas to remember!’

‘But we’ve spent almost three weeks together! It’s only one day, and then we’ll all be together again for the new year.’

‘Can’t you come down in the morning at least?’ Faith suggested. ‘We can wait for you to get here before we open our presents, and then you could be back in Dublin before the campaign goes live?’

‘But I said I’d be here in the office for the day in case there were any issues. Besides, I’m still not able to drive, and I don’t think any taxi driver would be willing to take me all the way to Inishbeg Cove and back again on Christmas Day. You girls enjoy your day, and I’ll see you as soon as I can get there on St Stephen’s Day.’

Lucy hung up without saying goodbye. She knew she would end up saying something she’d regret if she stayed on the call any longer.

Faith stared at her, dejected. ‘I can’t believe she’s done this to us…’

Lucy could see the heartbreak plain on her face. Faith had been sure that their mother would keep her word and return, even when Lucy had grown doubtful. Faith had clung to hope and now Madeleine had let them both down spectacularly.

42

Lucy pushed open the door and entered the living room. The Christmas tree, which only yesterday had looked full and vibrant, now looked dried out and droopy. The tick of Elizabeth’s carriage clock counting the seconds on the still air emphasised the silence of the house. It was Christmas morning, but she didn’t feel any Christmas magic. Lucy thought back to all the magical Christmas mornings when she was younger, when she’d barely slept, so excited was she to see what Santa might have brought. They would throw back the covers and run down the stairs, followed quickly by their mother and Nanna. Their joyous shrieks and excited squeals rang around the cottage. Even now they were adults, the excitement of Christmas morning had never really left; it was always a happy day spent in the company of the people they loved.

But this morning felt different. She looked around the room, still half-expecting to see her mother waiting for them. She had imagined Madeleine jumping out from behind the Christmas tree or the sofa, screaming ‘surprise’ before rushing forward to hug them, like a movie scene, but of course life wasn’t a movie, and she wasn’t there. Lucy knew that. Her mother had told them that she wouldn’t be joining them because work was her priority yet again.

As she had lain in bed last night, Lucy had held out hope that their mother might have a change of heart, but now, as Christmas morning had dawned and she hadn’t arrived, she had to accept that she wasn’t coming. Lucy still hadn’t heard anything from Kyle either; any hope she had harboured that Christmas might make him reconsider his decision had been wildly optimistic, and now she had to accept that their marriage was doomed.

She turned to Faith, who was standing beside her, looking glum.

‘I guess it’s just going to be us then,’ Lucy said sadly as the crushing reality smacked into her.

‘Look at all her fancy tableware,’ Faith remarked, nodding over at the new crockery and table linen that Madeleine had spent a small fortune on when they had gone shopping in Ballymcconnell. It was still in its packaging in the cabinet.

‘What a waste,’ Lucy said dismally. ‘Let’s stick with Elizabeth’s set that we’ve always used.’

Faith nodded, and Lucy felt a wave of anger towards their mother. She couldn’t understand why she had promised to spend Christmas with them, only to let them down so cruelly. Madeleine had claimed to have changed; she had said that she would put her family first from now on, but her words had been empty promises. What could possibly be so important about her new job that she would choose to work, rather than spend Christmas Day with her family?

It was also their first Christmas without Elizabeth, which made the day even more poignant and made the fact that their mother had chosen her job over them – once again – sting acutely. For the first time in her life, Lucy understood why some people found Christmas difficult. It took a magnifying glass to your problems, and the absence of loved ones who were no longer present or missing from the day was felt deeply. She and Faith planned to have a nice dinner then curl up by the fire with a Christmas movie. The Holiday was on later, and they would open a tub of Roses and snuggle up together. Then she would go to bed and wake up tomorrow, and Christmas would be all over. Just get through today, she told herself, blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall.

‘I really thought she’d come,’ Faith said, biting her lip as if trying to keep back tears.

‘Me too. I guess we should have known she would never change,’ Lucy replied bitterly.

‘Why does she always do this to us? And why do we never learn?’ Faith said with uncharacteristic resentment.