She nods and then takes Maeve’s hand, letting our sister lead her inside to her little bedroom.
“Well, if that’s not enough to break your heart, I don’t know what is,” Keegan mutters, pushing his hand through his hair. “I wish Joey were here so I could kill him again.”
“Get in line,” Shawn says. “Now, all we can do is take care of her.”
“I hate to burst your bubbles,” Anastasia says, her voice calm but firm, “but Maggie doesn’t need you to take care of her. She’s a strong woman who will heal from all of this. But being here for her, to help and comfort her, is the most important thing of all. She’s lucky to have all of you.”
“She has you, too,” I remind her. “And I’m glad for it.”* * *I feel like I’ve been working on this piece for an eternity. I started it the morning that Joey died, and I haven’t been able to get back to it. I don’t like leaving a piece of glass for so long. I have a vision in my head of what it should be, and I can’t rest until it’s finished.
And this piece is one of the most important that I’ve worked on in a long time. I want it to be just so.
It’s a gift.
And it’s finally done.
I turn the fires in the furnaces off, set the last piece in the cooler, and tidy up my barn, putting the pipes and cloths away. I wash my hands and am surprised to see it’s already almost noon.
I started at six this morning.
I need a shower, some food, and then the gift should be cool enough to deliver.
“Come on, boy,” I say to Murphy, who’s been snoozing on his bed in the corner. “Let’s freshen up, shall we?”
The dog walks next to me to the house, where my parents have been staying. They’re currently spending some time with Keegan at the pub, though. Mom’s making her famous stew and shepherd’s pie for the evening crowd, and Da is helping with fixing a few things.
The pub used to belong to them. They opened it years ago after we moved to America, and when it came time for them to retire, Keegan bought it from them, and our parents went back to our homeland. They were homesick for both the land and the family there.
I can understand that.
I hurry up to my bedroom, strip down, and get into the shower, not giving the water a chance to heat up. I’m still hot from the work, so the cool water feels good. Once I’m finished, I spritz on a little cologne, shave, and get dressed.
“I know, I’ve let myself go the past few days,” I say to Murphy, who’s watching me patiently. “It happens when I’m deep in the barn, as you well know.”
Murphy barks.
“I’m hungry, too. Let’s go see what we have in the kitchen.”
I slip on shoes and join Murphy at the fridge, taking stock of the contents. “You know, it’s not a bad thing at all to have one’s mother about. She leaves things like this for us.”
I pull out two meat pies from the fridge and stick them into the microwave. While I wait for the food to heat, I check the phone sitting on the kitchen counter, and wonder when I checked it last. It’s been a few days, at least, and I’m not at all surprised to find that the battery is dead. Murphy and I enjoy our early lunch in companionable silence, and then we walk back to the barn to fetch the pieces I finished just an hour ago.
“Ah, they’re cool enough.” I place them in their box with plenty of bubble wrap and tissue to keep them safe, and then Murphy and I head out to the car. “You’ll have to go stay with Maggie for today.”
Murphy barks.
“I know you love her. I’ll just poke my head in to see how she is.”
I pull up to her house, let Murphy out of the car, and follow him to the door. I knock, and Maggie answers just a few seconds later.
Her green eyes still hold sadness, and I’m sure they will for a while yet.
“Hey,” she says and opens the door wide for us to come inside. “I just made a sandwich, but I can make another if you’d like some.”
“I ate,” I say. “I’m hoping you can watch Murphy for me. I’m headed to the city to see Anastasia.”
“Of course, he can stay with me,” she says and rubs the dog down, making him groan in happiness. “For the night, then?”
“If that’s okay with you.”
“It always is.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Have fun. Tell her I said hi.”
“I will.” I start for the door and then turn back to my sister. “Maggie, can I do anything?”