‘I wish he hadn’t gone. Surely that’s the last thing he needed. Couldn’t you have stalled him until I had a chance to speak to him?’
She could have. Perhaps she should have, but Luke was an adult who had to be allowed to make his own decisions. ‘I think he would have gone anyway. I preferred to be there in case he needed me.’
Silence again. Emer sipped at her wine, and waited.
‘I suppose he was upset afterwards,’ Jack finally said. ‘Probably hated me afresh all over again.’
Emer bristled. ‘It wasn’t really about you, Jack. It was about Luke and his mother. And yes, he was upset. He was very pale when he came out. And very quiet. No tears, but he was shaken. I asked the nurses to keep a close eye on him.’
She’d spoken sharply and Jack might be offended. That would be unfortunate, but she was only doing her job. Luke was a young man in a world of pain and she’d do all she could to support him.
‘Thank you,’ said Jack, but there was still an undercurrent of frustration in his voice.
‘You know,’ Emer said, ‘beneath that tough façade, I think Luke’s crying out for affection – for someone who cares.’
Jack gave an ironic laugh. ‘I must have missed that somehow. In between his throwing things and calling me a bastard.’
Emer wanted to shout
Get over yourself!
but held back. ‘Luke’s obviously built a defensive wall around himself. Can’t you understand that? Every time you get into a confrontation with him, he builds the wall higher. Give him time to adjust. Support him whenever you can. And don’t, for God’s sake, criticise him for going to pay his respects to his mother. Promise me you won’t do that tomorrow.’
‘Of course not!’ exclaimed Jack. ‘What kind of a man do you think I am?’
It seemed father and son shared a bit of a temper. As did Emer – her father used to call her a spitfire when she’d give out about some perceived injustice. Time to take things down a notch now, though, or they’d all get nowhere fast. ‘I think you’re a generous man at heart. A kind man. And I’d like Luke to see that side of you. As I said, just be patient. You’ve both got a funeral to get through – you’ll need all your strength for that.’
‘The funeral.’ All the fire had suddenly gone out of Jack’s voice. ‘I’ve put off thinking about that. I’ll ask Luke tomorrow if he wants it to be in Ennis or here in Dublin.’
‘Travellers like to be buried in a place they’ve known. You could … no, I guess not …’ She stopped herself. It was a mad suggestion.
‘What were you going to say? … Emer?’
‘Well, just that if Luke goes home with you to England, you could bury Annie there.’
There was silence. She’d probably overstepped the mark. It was none of her business really.
‘Luke will likely veto that idea but I’ll run it past him anyway,’ conceded Jack.
He was making an effort, Emer could see that. Jack’s life had also been turned upside down when the past had come back to haunt him in a shocking way. Perhaps she should cut him some slack.
‘So, do you still want to meet tomorrow?’ she asked. ‘Or have you had enough of my bossiness?’
‘I’ll be there,’ he promised. ‘But I might be wearing a bulletproof vest.’
Emer laughed, relieved she hadn’t scared him off. It wasn’t everyone who would take on a straight-talking woman. She’d tone it down a bit tomorrow, though.
Chapter Four
Tuesday morning. Three days since Jack had arrived in Dublin. It seemed longer. He was eating breakfast when his mobile rang: Emer.
‘Jack – can you come to the hospital?’
He caught the urgency in her voice. ‘Has something happened to Luke?’
‘No, he’s okay,’ she reassured him. ‘But the Guards have just turned up to interview him. They’re in the waiting room while he’s having some tests. I told you how upset he was yesterday. I think he needs some support, a family member in his corner … This is
She could have. Perhaps she should have, but Luke was an adult who had to be allowed to make his own decisions. ‘I think he would have gone anyway. I preferred to be there in case he needed me.’
Silence again. Emer sipped at her wine, and waited.
‘I suppose he was upset afterwards,’ Jack finally said. ‘Probably hated me afresh all over again.’
Emer bristled. ‘It wasn’t really about you, Jack. It was about Luke and his mother. And yes, he was upset. He was very pale when he came out. And very quiet. No tears, but he was shaken. I asked the nurses to keep a close eye on him.’
She’d spoken sharply and Jack might be offended. That would be unfortunate, but she was only doing her job. Luke was a young man in a world of pain and she’d do all she could to support him.
‘Thank you,’ said Jack, but there was still an undercurrent of frustration in his voice.
‘You know,’ Emer said, ‘beneath that tough façade, I think Luke’s crying out for affection – for someone who cares.’
Jack gave an ironic laugh. ‘I must have missed that somehow. In between his throwing things and calling me a bastard.’
Emer wanted to shout
Get over yourself!
but held back. ‘Luke’s obviously built a defensive wall around himself. Can’t you understand that? Every time you get into a confrontation with him, he builds the wall higher. Give him time to adjust. Support him whenever you can. And don’t, for God’s sake, criticise him for going to pay his respects to his mother. Promise me you won’t do that tomorrow.’
‘Of course not!’ exclaimed Jack. ‘What kind of a man do you think I am?’
It seemed father and son shared a bit of a temper. As did Emer – her father used to call her a spitfire when she’d give out about some perceived injustice. Time to take things down a notch now, though, or they’d all get nowhere fast. ‘I think you’re a generous man at heart. A kind man. And I’d like Luke to see that side of you. As I said, just be patient. You’ve both got a funeral to get through – you’ll need all your strength for that.’
‘The funeral.’ All the fire had suddenly gone out of Jack’s voice. ‘I’ve put off thinking about that. I’ll ask Luke tomorrow if he wants it to be in Ennis or here in Dublin.’
‘Travellers like to be buried in a place they’ve known. You could … no, I guess not …’ She stopped herself. It was a mad suggestion.
‘What were you going to say? … Emer?’
‘Well, just that if Luke goes home with you to England, you could bury Annie there.’
There was silence. She’d probably overstepped the mark. It was none of her business really.
‘Luke will likely veto that idea but I’ll run it past him anyway,’ conceded Jack.
He was making an effort, Emer could see that. Jack’s life had also been turned upside down when the past had come back to haunt him in a shocking way. Perhaps she should cut him some slack.
‘So, do you still want to meet tomorrow?’ she asked. ‘Or have you had enough of my bossiness?’
‘I’ll be there,’ he promised. ‘But I might be wearing a bulletproof vest.’
Emer laughed, relieved she hadn’t scared him off. It wasn’t everyone who would take on a straight-talking woman. She’d tone it down a bit tomorrow, though.
Chapter Four
Tuesday morning. Three days since Jack had arrived in Dublin. It seemed longer. He was eating breakfast when his mobile rang: Emer.
‘Jack – can you come to the hospital?’
He caught the urgency in her voice. ‘Has something happened to Luke?’
‘No, he’s okay,’ she reassured him. ‘But the Guards have just turned up to interview him. They’re in the waiting room while he’s having some tests. I told you how upset he was yesterday. I think he needs some support, a family member in his corner … This is
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