Who's Your Paddy?

Chapter 35

A touch of melancholy framed our last morning in Ireland. We'd just finished breakfast and I watched as he began his preparations for closing up the house. It brought on a much expected sadness.

I turned my attention to the field out the window, wishing I could see the fantasy horses grazing.

"Sucks it went by so fast."

"Does aye, but look at it this way, we got stuff ta look forward to at home too."

His comment filled me with some of the warmth the morning was missing. "You're right, I am excited about that too. It's just weird. I don't think I ever felt so much like I belong. Here I mean."

"Lovely ta hear ya say that, was worried it was all a bit much."

"It was a lot, I mean, to get used to. It feels like another lifetime ago we made plans to come here. We're both different people now."

"We are. I love ya more today than when we came."

I turned to look at him. "You really are a sentimental sap aren't you?"

"And you like it, admit it." He kissed me as he breezed past the table. "Right so...let's get stuck in and finish some of the shite needin' to be done, then we can take a nice walk or somethin' aye?"

"Ooh, yeah. Wanna go visit the hammock?" I wiggled my eyebrows. His steamy wink was all the answer I needed to get busy pronto.

I spent the next couple of hours gathering my personal belongings from around the house and lugging them upstairs to begin packing. I picked out the clothes I'd wear on the flight home, the ones I'd be wearing that day and packed everything else. I was very proud that I had the presence of mind to purchase a bigger carry-on bag so I'd be able to fit all the treasures I bought in my travels.

Fitting the trinkets in the suitcase one by one was almost like reliving the trip. Each item had an event or story behind them that made it difficult to ponder letting them go as gifts.

At the same time, there was a pleasing anticipation of being able to share the tales with the intended recipients.

Other than my new Claddagh ring, the prize that held the deepest attachment, was the scarf I bought for myself in Athlone. I was so excited to find it in the gift shop, I pulled the tag off it at the register and put it on.

I was wearing it when we exited the shop and the blood from my whack in the head was still visible on one end of it. I hadn't washed it and wasn't sure I ever would. The notion wasn't a macabre one, it simply reminded me of a moment I wanted to cherish forever.

I didn't know it at the time, but the whole ordeal in Athlone was a significant ending and beginning for us both. I overcame fear of the unknown and acted to protect him that day. He overcame his traumatically induced inability to drive and acted bravely to protect me.

I tucked that realization into each careful fold of the garment and slipped the tidy square into my bag with a pensive smile.

By early afternoon, the sun broke through the cloud cover and blue skies prevailed. We crossed through the gate in the stone wall and walked about halfway up the lower slope of the field, before veering off toward the tree line on the right.

"Thought we were going to the hammock."

"We can do that too, but wanted ta show ya me special place."

"Oh that's right, you mentioned this before." I trudged carefully behind him into the brush, being cautious of the branches snapping back behind him.