Roisin nodded in understanding.
By the end of the meal all the plates were almost licked clean, apart from Anna’s, she’d barely touched her food or spoken. Any questions directed at her had been answered with the minimum number of words.
Moira looked at her sitting there all lemony lipped. This situation wasn’t easy for any of them and sure, she’d been looking forward to lunch today as much as she would a visit to the dentist for a root canal. Nevertheless, she’d made an effort. To her complete amazement she’d found herself warming to Donal despite her prior conviction she’d detest him on sight. She suspected it was on account of the Father Christmas thing. How could you dislike Father Christmas? Anna’s expression throughout their meal had suggested someone had broken wind. Mammy was trying and it was making Moira cringe inside each time her forced cheeriness was rebuffed by Anna. It wasn’t fair of her to treat Mammy as if she was something unpleasant on the sole of her shoe. She didn’t deserve it and she’d had enough.
It was time somebody took matters into their own hands.
Chapter 28
Dessert was dished out and being devoured when Anna mumbled her excuses and got up from the table in order to visit the Ladies. Moira carried on eating her Eton mess for a moment and then pushed her chair back saying she needed the bathroom. Maureen watched her go, it hadn’t escaped her notice Anna had vacated her seat a few seconds earlier. She wondered what Moira was up to but there wasn’t much she could say without causing a scene, and besides the lure of her whiskey cake was calling her to stay put and eat up.
Moira followed the sign, protruding from the wall, directing her to the Ladies and pushed open the door. There was only one occupied cubicle and she waited with her arms folded across her chest beside the hand drier. The loo flushed and Anna exited, her mouth forming an ‘O’ as she saw Moira standing there like an interrogator for the secret police.
‘Is there a problem?’ she asked, finding her words.
Moira softened her stance. She didn’t want a pistols drawn at high noon scenario. She let her arms fall to her sides and said, ‘Anna, I know you don’t know me and I don’t know you but I can tell you love your dad as much as I love my mammy.’
Anna’s face was closed as she soaped up her hands. ‘I don’t know what you think you’re doing, Moira, isn’t it, accosting me in here like this.’
‘I wanted a word was all. Nobody’s accosting anybody.’
Anna didn’t look convinced. ‘Well, go on then, say your piece.’
Moira cleared her throat; she decided to just go with whatever came out of her mouth. ‘When I found out Mammy had been dating someone, I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t ready for it. My daddy was my world and I’d thought he was Mammy’s world too. It seemed,’ she shrugged, trying to find the right words. ‘Disloyal, I suppose, her even entertaining the idea of stepping out with another man.’
Anna ran the tap, rinsing her hands. She didn’t say a word but at least she was listening, Moira thought, taking her cue to carry on. ‘You know, I came to lunch today expecting not to like your dad but I saw the way he treats Mammy with respect and clearly enjoys being around her. Her face glows every time he talks to her. I love her and I don’t want her to be lonely and the bottom line is, she has been lonely without Daddy and he’s not coming back. I suppose I’ve decided over lunch just now, if she thinks your dad is wonderful then I owe it to her to get to know him.’
Anna moved her hands out from under the tap and it stopped running. She turned to face Moira and a tear slid down her cheek. Moira thought she looked very young and vulnerable but knew her to be older than she was. Her voice wobbled as she spoke. ‘You know, in my line of work you’d think I’d be used to the fragility of life. I see people in unfathomable states every day and sometimes I can’t patch them up and they die but I don’t see the aftermath. I don’t see the impact losing their loved one has on the people sitting in the hospital waiting room. Or, how they deal with their loss in the weeks, or months following. I wasn’t ready to lose my mum.’
‘Was it sudden?’ Moira didn’t know how Donal’s wife had passed.
Anna nodded. ‘She had a heart attack behind the wheel of her car and died instantly. Small mercy no one else was hurt when she crashed. I’ve had no idea how to handle it and I don’t know how I’m supposed to be anymore. The rug’s been ripped out from under my feet and Dad’s my one constant.’
Moira didn’t think, she acted, and stepping forward she embraced Anna. To her surprise it was returned and she felt her body shuddering as she sobbed. ‘Anna, that’s how I felt, too. Daddy was my safety net. I knew I could screw up and he’d pick me up and put me back on the right path again because he always did. I didn’t deal well with his passing. It’s why I don’t drink anymore.’
They broke apart a little embarrassed by the intimacy and Anna ducked into the cubicle she’d exited and tore off some toilet paper, she passed a wad to Moira so she could blow her nose too. She dabbed her eyes, and wiped her nose before saying, ‘I
