Chapter 29: Last Place for a Landing

It was strange to wake up. I was still on the couch, but Heather was gone, and I was horizontal and covered by a blanket. I could hear my moms and aunt chatting in the living room, since I was occupying their usual morning hangout spot. Then again, the sun was bright and the shadows on the porch floor were well past parallel to the wood beams, suggesting that my first meal of the day would be called ‘late lunch’ and certainly not ‘breakfast’. So, I really took their usual afternoon spot...

Between the noise and light, I was surprised I’d been in such a deep sleep minutes earlier. Then again, what a crazy night... I fought off the cobwebs and eye sand, forcing myself upright. The sky was clear and blue ... It seemed to be a beautiful day. Excellent...

Wandering into the kitchen caused the chatter to die down significantly. It was replaced by knowing grins.

“Well, well,” Aunt Beth sang.

“Good morning!” I bellowed, feeling unusually lighthearted. “How are you all doing today?”

This was wholly unexpected by them, and for a few moments I took over the show. Well, it was only one moment, really. Like splashing back the edge of the tide, it came right back at me and I was assailed with all manner of questions regarding what I planned to eat, what I’d been up to last night that led me to sleep on the porch until this late hour, and so forth. I served myself some cereal and smiled at them periodically as they speculated the answers before I could get a word in.

“Just enjoying my vacation,” I finally replied. “That’s all I’m saying! So, where are Lara and the twins?”

“Walking the beach,” Melissa answered.

“And is Heather with them?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

I chuckled. “Okay, then, I see how it is ... What’s the plan today?”

“No plans during the day, but we thought instead of having the Martins over tonight, we’d all go out to Ophelia’s for dinner.”

The name was familiar, but only vaguely so. “What’s that?”

“A restaurant.”

“Well, I figured that much! Not in the mood to cook?”

Melissa laughed. “Don’t be silly. They have a new chef, so I’d like to scope it out. And it’ll be fun to do something different.”

“We’ll need to dress up a little,” Sarah acknowledged. “It’s a nice place.”

My heart sank a little. “Since my bag is still at home, I guess it’s good the jeans I wore in the car ride down were the ones without the rips!”

That got a laugh out of them.

“No, Hans has something you can wear,” Beth said, appraising my body. “Should be a good fit.”

I shrugged, feeling a slight burst of warmth flush my face. “Okay, sure, I’ll try that.”

Luckily, they didn’t probe the previous evening’s events any further, so I finished my cereal in peace. The ideas from the night started to wake up in my mind again, and I was soon heading across the sand to catch up with the others. I’d picked east, finding it the more likely direction.

Good choice... They were indeed up ahead and appeared to be building a sandcastle. Lara happened to look up and see me when I was still far away. She hopped up and ran to meet me.

“What’s going on?” I asked as she neared.

“Kind of obvious, no?” she replied, giving me a hug.

I sniffed. “Okay, I just meant in general. Have you seen Heather?”

“She just went home a little while ago to work on her photo stuff. Sorry, we hung out with her while you were sleeping. I hope that’s okay,” she teased.

“Oh, stop. Of course you can hang with her.”

“She was in a good mood,” she remarked rather deliberately. “Almost back to her usual, I’d even say. Can’t imagine why!”

I nodded appreciatively and steadily. “Good to hear. Odd, though, since she didn’t sleep much.”

She sniggered. “I’m sure.”

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Lara.”

“Since you can’t kiss yet, I’m sure you had to do other things instead,” she pressed.

“Actually, the only thing we did last night as far as that goes, is kiss.”

“Really? A day early ... Bad boy!”

“Yeah, well ... I kind of freaked out and ended up telling her about my time with Carmen, last year. And it was rough. Way rougher than I expected.”

“Oh, okay...” Lara frowned and caressed my arm as we slowed. “I’m sorry I was teasing you, then. I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine. And in the end ... it was kind of amazing, to let it all out, and her being there for me. We talked for a long time on the porch ... And, well, remind me later to run something by you. I need some ... advice.”

Lara nodded, giving me a small smile. “For sure, Matt. Anything. And when we get back to the house, I have something to show you too. Well, we all do!”

“Come on, lad, give us a hand!” I heard Tommy call. I waved back to him, and we started toward them again.

“So she looked better today?” I asked.

“Yeah, for sure. She didn’t seem as tired, and she was even helping with the sandcastle.”

“Cool, that’s—wait, Heather was playing in the sand?” I asked, incredulous.

“I know, right?” Lara leaned close to me. “And she also said you need to spend some time with the twins, just so you know, so no running off to find her.”

I nodded sheepishly. “I know. I feel bad, but I just had to talk to her last night. It was getting too much to handle. I guess I was taking what happened way harder than I thought.”

She eyed me for a few strides. “I’m glad you’re doing better then.”

“Definitely. But hey, let’s not talk about that right now. I’m looking forward to just having some fun and goofing off in the sand with all of you. Thanks for being there for them this trip.”

Lara gave me a smile as we joined the twins in constructing the rather large structure. It was a good time, but between exchanges my mind kept drifting, planning and plotting ... That, and wondering how the previous night had managed to dislodge Heather’s mood. She hadn’t slept much, and I’d dumped a load of negative stuff all over her ... And yet, as last night progressed, she’d seemed her old self, strong and energetic, and Lara confirmed that maybe, just maybe, the mood was going to stick.

“What are you smiling about?” Muireann asked me.

“Oh, it’s just good to be awake.”

“But it’s almost bedtime again,” she teased.

“Yeah, yeah, have at it. I can handle it.”

She gave me a little smile, and together we worked on digging out a tunnel for part of the moat, clawing at the damp sand from each side of the encircling channel. I made sure to suddenly grab her hand when the connection was first made, eliciting a wild shriek of fright. Laughter ensued, and I felt good for a change.

I’ve really missed hanging out with them these last few days...

Upon returning to the house, Lara was overly giddy.

“What was it you wanted to show me?” I asked.

“Go wait on the porch.”

I wasn’t going to complain about taking to the cushions; the afternoon hours on the beach had been lazy, but I was still tired enough that any chance to sit down was fine by me.

Maybe I should even take a nap ... With Heather on the up, I could be looking at another all-nighter!

It wasn’t long before the twins and Lara emerged onto the porch, instruments in hand.

“Hah, I get a concert? Nice!”

“Muireann taught me an Irish song,” Lara said, with decided confidence.

I nodded appreciatively. “Wow, that’s cool! Let’s hear it then!”

Tommy played a chord to set the key, and Lara settled herself next to me, the bodhrán resting on her lap.

“I’m probably going to forget half the words,” she admitted with a smile, before shooting Muireann a glance. “Someone said I’m not allowed to write them down!”

I laughed. “I’m guessing people in the pubs back your way don’t use cheat sheets, huh?”

“No, lad,” Tommy agreed. “Go on, lass, give us the song.”

She took a breath and then started a moderate loping beat on the drum. She gave Muireann a confirming glance and then began to sing.

“As I roved out one morning in the merry month of June ... The sun arose on Lough Swilly’s shore with everything in bloom... “

I wondered if it was a slower version of the ‘One two-three four-five’ song, but it soon was clear that it just shared a similar opening line. I listened as she sang through the first verse without help from the twins. I was immediately feeling proud of my sister. For all her complaining about not being able to play the drum while singing, she was certainly acquitting herself well.

Muireann added a quiet drone on her fiddle, giving Lara support for the next verse. I remained still, smiling, enjoying this different side of Lara’s voice. With the intimate setting, I was reminded of the previous fall when she’d first started singing with The Nameless. For hours we’d played together back then, me on my acoustic guitar, and she without the need to power herself over electric guitars and drums. No microphone had been needed ... Just the sound of her voice.

I miss that...

I glanced at Muireann, and she gave me a smile over her violin.

And I really miss music in the woods too...

Tommy soon joined, and together they wove together a neat little song. I saw that Melissa and Sarah were standing in the doorway, listening to the performance.

After a few more verses, Lara stopped drumming and sang out a final line as Tommy and Muireann let their own sounds fade into the constant accompaniment of the waves. In another moment, Lara released her concentration and I clapped, joined by my parents and also Hans and Beth, who apparently had been listening through the kitchen window.

“Wow, Lara, that was super cool!” I gushed.

“Thanks! And I actually got most of the words, I think?”

“Aye, lass, that was fantastic!” Tommy confirmed. “As good as heard in any pub in Donegal!”

“Oh, stop it, Tommy,” she returned, shaking her head. “Now you’re getting carried away.”

“Now he is?” Muireann joked.

“So awesome. When did you learn that?” I asked.

“We started when you were out fishing with Frej,” Lara replied.

“And we played for a nice time last night,” Tommy added.

“Aw, I wish I was there!” I cried, suddenly longing for our music even more, because even the band battle memory seemed to have receded significantly.

Lara gave me a look, as if to say, I’m sorry, Matt...

But it was only fair; I’d asked them to do something fun without me, so I could hardly complain when they did so.

“So does every Irish song take place in the month of June?” I joked, shaking off the sense of longing. Time for that later...

The twins grinned knowingly.

“That’s a fine month back home, lad. Sometimes it’s even as warm as the day is today! So if you want a merry month for a song, you choose June.”

“But mostly it rhymes well,” Muireann added, quite usefully and sensibly.

“Oh, that makes sense,” I said. “Better than August, I guess?”

Tommy snorted. “Nonsense, lad, listen here: As I roved out, in the merry month of August, “ he sang, “I cut down a tree and collected up me sawdust... “

“Wow ... There’s our first hit,” Lara deadpanned, as the rest of us sniggered. “That’s so freaking catchy, Tommy.”

“What was the song called?” Melissa asked, an amused smile still on her lips. “The real one, not Tommy’s new hit, of course.”

“The Three O’Donnells,” Lara replied.

I raised a brow as the significance of the name hit me. “Three O’Donnells, huh?” I leaned in to the twins. “What, did you two adopt my sister now?”

They started laughing. “Aye, lad! But don’t worry, there’s room for a fourth twin. You just have to learn some Irish music as well! Then we’ll make you an honorary member of our family.”

“Learn some Irish music, hmm...” I mused. “Is there by any chance a song called The Ballad of the Tired Grunter?”

Everyone guffawed at the possibility.

“Because that’s what my voice would sound like right now!” I added.

“We can write that song if you want,” Lara suggested. “I think Tommy already has the first two lines!”

In the midst of the hilarity, Melissa suggested that we start getting ready for the dinner outing.

“We’re meeting over at the Martins’ place in half an hour!” she announced, perhaps surprising even herself at the sudden need to make haste.

We scattered to our rooms, but it soon became clear that the warning was meant for the girls, not so much for Tommy and me. The two of us were out in the living room within minutes, since we each had exactly one choice of outfit that was appropriate for Ophelia’s. Admittedly, I looked decent in Hans’s slacks and button-down collared shirt after all.

“So is this smart casual?” Tommy asked my mom, his voice impish.

Melissa eyed him. “Looking sharp, both of you.”

“I don’t feel very casual,” I remarked. “No hole in the knees!”

“And honestly lad, I don’t think we’re smart enough either,” Tommy added.

My mom just rolled her eyes and went to get ready herself.

One by one, people emerged from their bedrooms, but it was after the time when we were supposed to be at the Martins and still the two girls hadn’t appeared.

“Sure is taking them long enough,” I said to Tommy.

“Oh, you can blame your doll for that.”

“Heather? Why?”

“She brought over some clothes this morning.”

“I wondered if that was Heather’s tote bag on the beach this afternoon.”

“Aye, it was. Muireann was complaining that she had nothing special to wear, so Heather went to get her some of her favorites!”

We had a laugh, but mine was cut short as Lara’s bedroom door opened. Tommy was still saying something, but it didn’t penetrate my distraction at all.

Lara emerged first, in the white dress she’d worn at the talent show. She looked great, but I was more concerned with a familiar flash of red that teased me from behind her.

Wait, is Heather here too?

But it wasn’t Heather. Muireann was wearing the devil’s dress! And the damn heels are back out!

Lara eyed me as they entered the living room, giving me the most knowing of grins.

I’m so sorry, Matt, she again seemed to say.

Heather, you bad girl...

Muireann appeared to be rather uncertain about how to wear or even walk in such an outfit. Her slightly shorter frame made the dress a little less electric than when Heather wore it. Well, it was significantly less electric, because Muireann also had a pair of sleek black leggings on under it. It was still somewhat chilly out, after all. But compared to Muireann’s usual darker-colored clothes, this flame-cut and fitted outfit was certainly far outside of her norm. And on top of that, too many memories were flooding into me due to that red fabric, and it was jarring to see Muireann’s shy look wearing them now.

“Wow...” I said, unable to help myself. “Tommy, we’re way underdressed.”

“Oh, I knew it was too much!” Muireann wailed. “I should change back!”

“No, come on,” Lara said, taking her arm and pulling her back into the living room. “You look amazing!”

“That looks like Heather’s dress,” Melissa remarked. “It looks great on you too!”

Since we were late, Muireann had no time to change her mind so we piled into the cars. The four of us rode with Melissa. Tommy stretched out in the shotgun, so I squeezed in next to Muireann.

“So this was Heather’s idea?” I asked.

“Aye.”

“She’s a fashion coordinator now too? Why didn’t she choose Tommy’s and my clothes?” I joked.

“Because you only have one outfit?” Lara retorted.

I grinned sheepishly. “Oh yeah ... Honestly though, I think I’d still be wearing this even if I had remembered my bag. I don’t think I packed anything too decent. What is Heather wearing?”

“She didn’t actually say. She just thought it would be fun to dress up a bit, and she gave Muireann a few dresses to try.”

Heather’s moon dress popped into my head ... It was already swimming in my thoughts, due to the previous night’s discussion and the memory of being with her on her porch, that first time we made love ... I hadn’t seen it since. It would be just like her to bring that out, as she’d done with the devil’s dress. Just to torture me.

Heather, you bad girl... !

Once we reached the Martins’ house, it was getting close to the hour of the reservation itself, but just like at my aunt’s, it was the younger female that was holding up the party.

“Heather!” Mairead called up the stairs. “We’re late!”

I didn’t think Heather would reply, and she didn’t.

“Freddy, a scotch? We could be here a minute, or an hour,” Aongus joked.

“That is enough time either way,” the Danishman agreed as they made to move toward the dining room.

Mairead put a stop to that idea with a warning look.

“Maybe later, then, when we play music,” Aongus amended, and everyone had to chuckle.

I was rather impatient by the time there was some noise from upstairs, the clicking of heels on wooden flooring. Then came the slower sounds of each foot on the stairs. There was nothing to do but wait and stare, and it was immediately clear that the silver moon dress was not the choice after all. That would have revealed all leg, well past the knees. Instead, descending the stairs was a floor-length blue fabric.

I only could see the lower half of her, but already my mind and body were surging. The entrance felt rather conspicuous, and...

Damn ... For someone who complains about the spotlight ... The entire world is about to be looking at her right now.

And then...

Oh my god... !

I looked around, wondering if I was imagining what I was seeing, but one by one all eyes went to Heather and stayed on her, all conversations instantly dying in mid-word.

My glance fell on Lara, who was staring in stunned shock...

Staring, right at the third-most dazzling blue eye in the world.

My heart tightened up as I couldn’t look away ... Then Mairead stepped in front of me to get a closer look. She gasped.

“Dia ár sábháil, Heather! Where did you ever get that?” she cried.

Heather said nothing as she reached the landing, smiling sweetly, and looking only at me.

“Wow... !” Sarah managed, and also remained at a loss for words.

Only Tommy wasn’t speechless, likely because he couldn’t make out the exact nature of what was suddenly in the room. Still, he could obviously see enough. “It was supposed to be smart casual, lass,” he joked.

No one laughed more than a little bit, though. Well, Heather did giggle at least.

“Well, what are you all waiting for?” she chimed. “Someone said we were late!” She pressed past her mom and came up to me, smiling that smile of hers.

“Hi!”

“Hi,” I managed to utter, somehow.

“You look nice.”

“And you...” I could only finish with a shake of my head.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

With that, she put her arm in mine and led me out the front door.

To say that I was a mess of emotions would be to understate it. She looked stunning, and to see the necklace suddenly out in the open was both thrilling and terrifying. I steadied myself as this new reality started sinking in. Only Melissa and Sarah would have any idea of what this was. I figured I was in for a long night of questions. Hmm ... Maybe Heather can answer them ... It’s her gift after all!

I glanced back at Lara and the twins. They were grinning as they looked at Heather and me. Well, the twins were grinning; in Lara’s eyes, I saw an echo—no, a reflection, really, of everything I was feeling just then. And one thing more, of course.

I’m so sorry, Lara...

It is a strange thing when a good part of dinner is spent watching the people at the table stare at Heather’s chest. But I couldn’t exactly blame them. I’d missed the sight of the jewel and the silver arms that held it in their embrace.

Little by little the story spilled out, but I found myself not having to say much of it. Melissa actually told of the post-midnight egg-painting session, which was a rather humorous aspect to the story. She also mitigated the obvious expense that such a piece would require by explaining that the gem was from my dad’s old things. And Heather dramatized the gift-giving hike, making me seem like I was completely out of my head before she opened the tin.

I wasn’t that out of it... ! Was I?

In time, I relaxed as the novelty wore off and the secrets dissipated like morning mists. Still, the piece continued to draw everyone’s attention, even after Aongus graciously picked up the entire bill and we headed for the cars.

The five of us kids, sated from the meal, took some extra chairs out to Heather’s porch to enjoy the night view. The ocean sang to us from a short distance, ever present.

I took to the couch there and pulled Heather tight to me—so that others could fit, of course. She looked so tasty ... But I couldn’t tell her, not freely, and not with so many people always around. I didn’t mind too much, because it was all good fun. Heather was indeed in a better state, and Tommy always fed off of people’s positive vibes. We carried on and laughed a great deal.

Eventually the expected request came. Heather had predicted it, but it wasn’t a stretch considering her dad had called earlier in the day to make sure we brought instruments with us to their house.

“Come all ye lads and lasses,” Aongus’s silhouette sang from the doorway. “Who wants to play some tunes? A merry time to be had by all!”

“Let’s do it,” Tommy said eagerly, itching to get his fingers on a fretboard.

Already Aongus was heading back down the hallway, belting out an upbeat jig.

“And you can sing your new song,” Muireann said to Lara.

“Um...”

As everyone rose, I whispered to Heather, “From one couch to another...”

“As long as I’m in your arms, I couldn’t care less where we sit.”

I shivered, even as I wished I had more energy left in me. I was decidedly fading; I had a feeling that I was probably going to fall asleep during the music, even despite the upbeat nature of the Irish tunes.

“Save us a seat,” Heather murmured to me as she slipped into the bathroom.

The twins carried on down the hallway, so I turned to wait for Lara who had been slowest to rise. When I didn’t see her, I walked back out to the porch.

“Are you okay?”

She turned to look at me from where she was leaning against the wooden railing. “Yeah, just thinking...”

I had a feeling I knew what about. Regret always springs up so easily, damn it...

“Do you ... want to talk?”

“It’ll only delay the inevitable.”

I put a hand on her shoulder, feeling some anxiety rise in me. “Inevitable?”

She sighed. “I’m afraid to sing the song.”

Hmm ... I was wrong!

“The new one you learned?”

“Yeah ... In front of everyone.”

“You did great today. I’m sure the Martins will think it’s totally cool to hear you sing an Irish song. Especially while you’re playing Aongus’s drum! Heck, you might make him prouder of you than he is of Heather at this rate!”

“Oh, don’t say that! And it’s not the Martins I’m thinking of. It’s just the song itself.”

“What, you don’t like it?”

“I do, but ... You heard the words. They’re not quite me.”

“What do you mean?” I probed.

“There’s a lot of ... religious stuff in there.”

“Hmm ... Well, there were some lines about it, sure. But so what?”

“I feel weird singing about something I don’t really believe in.”

“I guess...” I was struck by a sudden memory. “But you know, Heather told me something once, when she took me to a concert down at this church. We saw this orchestra playing some sort of classical piece, and she told me that it was religious music before we went in. I was kind of wondering what to think ... but it turned out to be amazing. And she said that there’s a lot of good music made by people for their religions.”

Lara pursed her lips. “That makes sense. And I’m not against the song having that in it. It just feels a bit strange for me to sing it, you know? It’s one thing to hear it, another to pretend to feel it.”

“All right, I get that,” I murmured. “It is a little different. But okay, think of this ... I hope that when people hear our songs, they like them and maybe even appreciate something in them, even though they might not believe the same things we do.”

Lara turned to gaze at me for longer than I thought necessary, her eyes a bit unsteady. “You mean people who don’t believe in Truth... ? There’s not many, these days...”

My mood immediately drooped. Oh ... maybe I was right after all.

“Lara,” I murmured. “Don’t say that. I know tonight had to be hard for you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, though she remained subdued as she stared out again.

“Well ... I told you I didn’t get Heather a scarf.”

She sniffed. “You can say that again.”

“I’m really sorry about that, honest. Heather wanted to keep it hidden, though, and ... Well, I feel bad, for not telling you about it, before or after.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I mean, it’s gorgeous, Matt. So perfect for her ... You truly are an amazing boyfriend, you know that?”

I shuddered at her words, delivered honestly even as I knew she was just trying to slip the mask back into place while I was distracted by the sentiment.

But this is what we’d agreed to, after all. No checking in with each other allowed. And we’ll fix it all in July...

“Lara?” Mairead called. “Matt? Ah, there you are! Will you be joining us?”

“Yeah, we’ll be right in,” I replied. “Just enjoying a few more minutes of the night air.”

“Very well, I’ll tell Aongus to be patient. Can I serve you some lemonades?”

“Sure, that would be great!”

She gave us a grin and left us.

“We should go in,” Lara said quietly.

“Okay ... Look, just sing the song, Lara. And feel it however you can. So maybe it’s not the words you’d use, okay. But somewhere along the line, we’re all singing about the same things, right?”

She eyed me carefully, and then nodded. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

“All right. Come on. It will be a hit with Heather’s parents, I’ll bet.”

We made our way inside and I walked behind Lara. She moved slowly down the hall, still clad in her pretty white dress, her legs carefully bringing her closer to the room where already the fiddle and concertina had started up.

Lara took the seat that had been set for her next to Aongus. I sank down beside Heather, watching my sister carefully; but she remained intent on joining the session as she took the bodhrán out of its case.

“Everything all right?” Heather asked quietly.

I nodded slowly. “As good as it can be.”

I spent an hour in and out of the music, mostly awake, but always very aware of the beautiful blue girl I was sitting beside. At length, Tommy said something that made me perk up.

“Lara has a new song,” he announced.

I expected some protest, but perhaps my pep talk had helped a little because Lara just smiled shyly and nodded.

“I just learned this, and I know I’m not an Irish singer, so I hope you don’t find it wrong. But Muireann taught it to me this week.”

“Wonderful!”

Aongus and Mairead were very pleased as they smiled at each other. Lara glanced at the twins and they nodded encouragingly at her. She set herself and started the drum pattern. Closing her eyes, she didn’t sing right away.

Come on sis, you can do it.

No one moved as the drum continued, a rather lengthy introduction. Then Lara took a long breath, and...

“As I roved out... “

I listened as she delivered the first verse, a bit hesitantly perhaps. But it was still a good start, capturing something of a mood. Muireann will give her more courage when she comes in.

But Muireann wasn’t moving as the verse ended. I saw Tommy start to turn toward her, but she put a staying hand on her brother’s arm.

Lara opened her eyes now, wondering where her supporting drone was. Muireann only gave her another encouraging smile.

The second verse began, all Lara. It had a little more energy ... Muireann kept her hand on Tommy as the third verse came and went. Once more Lara checked with the twins, but by now it had dawned on her that she was to sing the entire song herself.

As it turned out, it was this that ended up giving her courage, because the last couple of verses were suddenly quite emotive. Heather squeezed me as Lara seemed to release herself to the song, leaning into the rousing tribute to these O’Donnells; not the twins, no, but those that she didn’t know from long ago and far off, who save for this song would be forgotten to most if not all by now.

When the last line fell away, she drummed a few more bars but was soon overwhelmed by Aongus bellowing in praise and joy.