‘We’re giving it a go,’ he said. ‘When she’s down here I’m with her and when she’s up there, it’­s – whatever. The rule is we don’t make a deal of it. That’s how we’re doing it for now.’

Ben wasn’t sure how to take ­that – the ­big-­brother’s interrogative instinct flared up in him for a ­second – but he let it go. He glanced at the dashboard clock.

‘We’re cutting it fine for this train, actually.’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Danny said, hitting the acceler­ator.

‘How’s the season going with Town? Are ye going to win the league?’

‘If we don’t, we’ll get mighty close.’

‘Ye’ll do it so.’

‘When we do it,’ Danny said, ‘then it’ll be done.’

‘You seem good, though.’

‘I’m all right. But how are you? Are you doing OK?’

‘You know me, I’m a moody pup at the best of times.’

‘You’re a man in a hurry,’ Danny said. ‘You want things.’

‘Doesn’t everyone?’ Ben said, but Danny didn’t answer, just watched the road.

Soon they were at the station. Danny drew up level with the entrance, flicked on the indicator and waited for a break in the traffic coming the other way. When the break appeared, he swung them into the station’s car park. As soon as they entered it they could see that the train was still there, the same two little carriages as ever with their sets of doors open, the people gathered on the ­platform – people Ben, without even having to look, knew he knew – stepping on board with no particular urgency.

‘What did I tell you,’ Danny said. ‘We made it.’

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the Irish Arts Council, The Toronto Arts Council and Jill Morrison and everyone at the Rolex Mentor Protégé Arts program for their assistance and support during the writing of this book.

Everyone at Cape and Grove Atlantic, in particular Nick Skidmore and Katie Raissian, and Jordan Ginsberg at Strange Light.

Several of the stories in Homesickness first found a home in various magazines. I would like to thank Cressida Leyshon, Deborah Treisman and Adrian Kneubuhl for their careful and rigorous eyes.

Thank you to Lucy Luck and Anna Stein, who go above and beyond.

Thanks to Paul, Tim, Oisin, John Patrick, Tom, Lisa, Nicole, Declan, Sean, Gavin and Colm, among many others, for knowing when to talk and not talk about the work, and for being legends in general.

And finally, thank you to my family, for always being there, and for putting everything in perspective.

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