Wish Upon a Star by Jim Cangany

come by whenever I needed a little alone time. I couldn't see
Ryan sorting tires with me.
    "How about a beer?"
    Ryan nodded while his grip on the steering wheel loosened
a touch. "Sure, where to?"
    We ended up at Dooley Flynn's, a pub that was a favorite of
my friends with the Hurling Club. While it was a comfortable,
family-friendly place, it was a little off the beaten path. That's what I was
looking for though, because I wasn't in the mood to run into
acquaintances with their inevitable questions about Annie.
    A young lady led us to a wooden table in a corner with a
view of the big screen TV showing Iowa battling Northwestern.
Large, framed pictures of famous Ireland landmarks like the Cliffs of
Moher, Blarney Castle and Trinity University were hung on the sand
colored walls. When Ryan asked me about the golden trophy on the
wall, I laughed.
    "That's the Indy Hurling Club's league championship trophy.
I was at the match when Flynn's won the title." We whiled away the
afternoon as I spun yarns about the Hurling Club and the rivalries
between some of the teams. Ryan refused to believe me when I told
him about how the guys from the Mother Earth team had tried to
steal the trophy from O'Conner's Pub a few years back. It wasn't until
our waitress confirmed the story that Ryan finally gave in.
    When the clock struck six, I phoned our dinner order into
Bazbeaux's and raised my beer.
    "Thanks man. It was nice to get away from it all for a few
hours."
    Ryan clinked his beer to mine. "Miranda thought it might do
you some good. Glad it did."
    My mouth was watering from the aroma of the pizzas as I
turned my key in the front door lock and opened the door. "Dinner's
here," I said after Ryan closed the door behind me. There was no
response. I looked down the hall. The spare bedroom door was
closed.
    I knocked on the door, told the ladies the pizza had arrived
and headed to the kitchen to get out plates and utensils. Ryan had
just turned on the TV when Miranda appeared.
    "E.J." She had her arms crossed and was chewing on her
lower lip. After a glance from her, Ryan said he needed to use the
bathroom. Once we were alone, Miranda motioned me to the
couch.
    "I tried to talk Annie into joining us but she refused. Losing
her hair's proven to be harder on her than she thought it'd be."
Miranda sighed. "I think, given that her hair's been such a big deal
over the course of her career, she wasn't prepared for the aftermath.
She's very vulnerable right now. She needs you."
    I headed down the hall. Annie didn't respond when I
knocked, so I opened the door just enough to pop my head in. She
was seated in the center of the bed, Indian style. Where there had
once been a dark mop of luxurious hair I loved to run my fingers
through, there was now a barely visible stubble.
    "Hey there. Mind if I join you?"
    She looked up from the piece of fabric she was picking at
and nodded. While there wasn't any evidence of tears, her slumped
shoulders and frown said it all. I sat next to her and wrapped her in
my arms. For the longest time, she didn't speak. When she did,
despair filled her voice.
    "I hate this E.J. I hate it." She pounded her fist into my
thigh.
    Once again, I got a sense I was dancing through a minefield
with my words and the wrong one would lead to a massive
explosion. I went for the obvious. "I know you do. I hate it, too. But
we're going to beat this. You and me together."
    "I'm not scaring you yet?"
    I placed my hands on her cheeks. "Look at me and tell me
what you see. I love you Annie, the person you are. When I gave you
the Claddagh, it was my first promise to you. When I gave you the
engagement ring, it was my permanent promise to you. Whatever we
face, we face it together."
    The corners of her mouth curved up a little as she kept her
gaze on me. She blinked, put her hand on my neck and brought me to
her. The kiss was brief and very soft, but when she pulled back, there
was a little sparkle in her eyes.
    "You got the pizza order right,