“Thank you, Clodagh. In fact I’m happy to have a little peace. This one’s restless tonight.” She took my hand and laid it on her belly. The infant kicked me hard, and a thrill went through me at the wonder of it. But I was afraid. This child was so strong already. For a moment I saw it as an adversary, a ruthless being that would take my mother’s life without hesitation in order to secure its own.

“He’s eager to get out and join the celebrations,” I said. I had become practiced at hiding my fear in front of mother, a skill I had, ironically, learned from her. I had watched her dealing calmly with one household crisis after another over the years and I had picked up her knack of covering up any unease she felt with a look of cheerful competence. “Mother, you didn’t eat anything at supper. I’ll have some bread and fruit sent up from the kitchen for you.”

“There’s no need to fuss, Clodagh.” There was a trace of her old briskness in her tone. “The gods want this boy born safely; I’ve known it from the first. Why else would they give me another chance now after all these years?”

“You should rest, all the same. Would you like me to keep you company until you sleep? It’s not as if this is the first time I’ve ever heard a band, after all. And it’s Deirdre’s night, not mine.”

Something must have shadowed my face or darkened my tone.

“Do you wish it was yours, Clodagh? Are you unhappy about being left behind?” She settled obediently against her pillows, but her eyes were shrewd as they examined my face.

I sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at my hands. “The fact that Deirdre and I are twins doesn’t mean we want the same things in our lives, Mother. I am happy to stay at home for now. There’s plenty of time.”

“You’re close to the same age I was when I wed your father,” Mother said with a faint smile. “But, of course, Sean and I had known each other since we were children. There was a time when I thought we would never be together, and my heart almost broke, Clodagh. Some folk say that kind of love burns itself out, that it can’t endure the trials and tests of ordinary life. But that isn’t true.”