Marie-Claire felt a flicker of happiness and optimism. Something she hadn’t felt since she’d overheard that phone call the previous Christmas. She saw a United Airlines jet descending over the M1 on its flight path to land. Maybe last week she might have been tempted to book a ticket Stateside, but today she was happy to be in Dublin. It was the first time she’d been able to say that since her return from Toronto. Now all she’d to do was get her mother and grandmother reconciled and life would be well and truly on the up again.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Keelin’s eyes lit up when she saw Marie-Claire waving at the Arrivals barrier.

‘Chérie, what a treat!’ she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her daughter. ‘I love that you’re back living in Ireland. It’s so much easier to get to see you.’

‘Maman, you look great. I love the hair.’ Marie-Claire drew back and studied her mother. Keelin’s new ash-blonde highlights and flick-out cut, tucked behind her ears, emphasized the green of her eyes and her high cheekbones.

‘Hmmm, I needed to do something with it. I’m too old for long hair now and there’s more grey than there used to be, so I’m embracing it,’ Keelin laughed, tucking her arm into her daughter’s. Together they set off towards the exit.

‘Granny and Mère are at the hotel, so they survived the trip to Dublin together,’ Marie-Claire grinned, sliding her parking ticket into the machine.

‘Well that’s something, I suppose,’ Keelin said. ‘To tell you the truth, I’m dreading the next few days. I don’t know if it was such a good idea to invite Mam.’

‘I know. We don’t want to be watching our P’s and Q’s every time we open our mouths. But I think, from the short time I spent with her when Mère and I called in unexpectedly, she’s relieved to have an opportunity to sort things out and move forward with the rest of us. Maybe it might be a blessing in disguise,’ Marie-Claire soothed, rooting for coins.

‘Yes, hopefully,’ Keelin said, but doubt lingered in her voice. ‘All I know is that a mirror is being held up to me and I don’t like myself very much. I never realized how angry I was at her and how resentful. I’d buried it for years. So I suppose it’s time for me to walk the walk, put my spiritual beliefs into practice and clear all this toxic energy between us. No matter what the outcome.’

‘You’re very hard on yourself, Maman,’ Marie-Claire said. ‘None of us have found Granny easy to deal with.’