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Back Again, Rachel

Again, Rachel

Marian Keyes
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

Cover

Cover for Again, Rachel, Author, Marian Keyes

Dedication

For my mother,

with gratitude and love

Epigraph

The Truth must dazzle gradually,

Or every man be blind—

Emily Dickinson

Forgive yourself for the many ways you

hurt yourself, when all you were doing

was trying to survive.

Anonymous

1

The touch of his hand, lightly circling my belly button, woke me. Still half-asleep, I enjoyed the feel of his fingers tracing lower.

But before we could go any further, I needed to know the time.

‘Ten past seven.’ His voice was thick.

The relief of sleeping through a whole night! I smiled straight into his face. ‘Now you have my full attention.’

Afterwards, we lay together in a rosy glow. But time was passing. ‘I’ve to go, sweetie.’

‘Already?’

‘Have to drop in home, feed Crunchie, pick up a couple of things before work.’

‘Uh.’ There was that meaningful little pause. ‘Okay.’

We weren’t going there, not now. ‘Have a great trip.’

He kissed me. ‘I’ll call when I can. But it’s unpredictable.’

‘Don’t worry.’ I slid from the bed. ‘I hope it goes well. See you Sunday.’

He held my wrist. ‘I’ll miss you.’

‘I’ll miss you too.’

*

In the kitchen, I gulped a quick glass of water.

Finley wandered in, scratching his head. ‘Hey, Rachel.’

‘Hey. I’m off now. See you Sunday?’

‘Nah, I’ll be with Mum.’

‘Say hi from me. And if you felt like doing an act of kindness, I’m guessing your dad’—I pointed a finger to the ceiling—‘would kill for a coffee.’

Finley looked doubtful and I had to laugh. ‘Go on, you lazy brat.’

‘Okaaay.’

I gave him a quick hug, then darted away into the bright spring morning.

*

As soon as I pushed my front door open, Crunchie hurled herself at me in ecstatic welcome. I dropped to my knees, rubbed her ears and spoke in my special Crunchie voice. ‘Hello, you good girl, hello!’

‘That you, Rachel?’ Kate stuck her head over the banister, strands of wet hair tumbling down. A round brush and a hairdryer were in her hands.

I dashed up the stairs and into the bathroom. ‘I ran out of contact lenses.’ I rooted around in the drawer.

‘How’s Quin?’ she asked.

‘Grand. Off to New Mexico until Sunday.’

‘Lucky him!’

Kate was my niece, the daughter of my eldest sister Claire. She’d been living with me for the past few months because the brutal commute from Claire’s house in West Dublin to her job in a care home in Wicklow was breaking her. These days, she spent a scant twelve minutes travelling to work instead of the two-and-a-half-hour round trip which had been the norm.