Passive-aggressive! That was telling her straight, she thought glumly. And the annoying thing was that Imelda was right. Even though she wasn’t in contact with Marc as much as she’d been, there was unfinished business between them. She’d had her revenge, and that was what her behaviour had been about: revenge. Not very adult of her, Marie-Claire admitted, though it had been satisfying for a while. Her grandmother was right. It was time to draw a line under her relationship with Marc. She needed to bring closure to that chapter in her life, one way or another. Make a decision on whether she was going to work with Frankie on a long-term basis, or cover Dee’s maternity leave. She also needed to make up her mind as to whether she was going to stay in Dublin or go back to Toronto. And if she was staying in Dublin, she needed to take her belongings out of storage and ship them home from Canada. It was time to stop acting like an ostrich.

Marie-Claire stretched over to her bedside locker, picked up her iPad and googled flights. She was working her notice, much to Inez and Chloe’s dismay, and she was owed five days’ leave. She could use that time to take a trip to Canada. Perhaps when she got back to Toronto she might find that she wanted to stay there.

It was hard to believe so much had changed in her life in less than six months. And just when she’d felt she was beginning to settle back home in Ireland, Granny had put her spoke in and made her face up to the fact that decisions had to be made.

Marie-Claire tapped in a message to Lizzie on her phone:

I’m planning on coming to Toronto for a week.

FaceTime me when you get up. MCx

Then she threw back the duvet and went into the shower, wishing Imelda had kept her thoughts and very blunt suggestions to herself.

*

‘I’m so excited,’ Lizzie beamed from her kitchen counter where she was drinking coffee and eating a bagel. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’

‘I’ve missed you too,’ Marie-Claire laughed. ‘I can’t wait to see you.’

‘You’ll be staying here, of course,’ her friend said.

‘Where else would I be going?’

‘I’d better stock up on the liquor then. Will you bring me some Taytos and some of that gorgeous Green Angel eye gel?’

‘I will. And some handmade chocolates and O’Neill’s rashers.’

‘Get on the next flight, girl.’ Lizzie gave her the thumbs up. ‘So, listen, are you going to see Marc while you’re here?’

‘Yeah! I guess it’s time to put an end to the charade,’ Marie-Claire sighed. ‘How is he?’

‘He’s fine, spending a lot of time in NY. Things are taking off there.’

‘Yep, he told me that the last time we spoke. How’s Amelia?’