It all started with Freshers.....

Part Fifteen - Lazy Sundays

The next day I got up and Cathleen was at my backdoor. She'd just landed. She was nursing Cora on one hip. Instead of speaking I opened the door and waved her in. Cora was still in her pyjamas and her hair was messy.

"Happy belated birthday honey!" Cathleen said as she set a wrapped parcel on the counter.

"Aww thank you. No need at all though," I said.

Cora reached for me and I cuddled her tight. She patted my rounded bump and smiled. "Baby."

"Yes baby."

"Girl?" She asked.

"I don't know," I told her gently.

Cora nodded and beamed at me brightly. "I play?"

"Yes you can play when the baby gets here."

"Well what about last night? Is that a ring I spy?" Cathleen asked teasingly.

"It's a promise ring. Yeh it was a nice night," I said with a slight grin.

"You need to open that!" Cathleen told me pointing at her present.

"Oh right, why? Really good or really funny?"

"Really good!"

I chuckled and balanced Cora firmly before lifting the parcel and opening it. Inside was a box. A shiny red box. I rested the box on the counter before opening the lid. Inside was little bits and pieces. Things from our friendship. There was little stubs of tickets from concerts, an empty shot glass from what I could think from looking at it was my disastrous eighteenth where I had been drunk before I'd even left the house. A couple of photographs. Cookie recipes. A bar of my favourite chocolate. A drawing from Cora. It was really cute. I loved it.

"Aww that's probably the cutest thing I've ever seen," I said with a teary smile. I loved things like this but looking at them made me all emotional.

"Did you get to the bottom?" Cathleen asked.

I shook my head. At the bottom was a short letter.

To the best friend anyone could ask for,
Ciara the last three years have not been easy for me, what with finding out I was pregnant when I was six months gone, finding out I had a few more health problems than the average person and changing jobs time and time again. Through it all few people supported me the way you did. There are so few people who I'd trust with my child the way I trust you with Cora. Ciara, you are the most beautiful soul to grace this planet and I absolutely adore you for everything that you've done for me. Thank you so much for everything. I never take the time to say it but I am so grateful that you were brought into my life. I don't know what I'd do without my cheerful wee mate! I love you little buddy!
Love Cathleen xxx

"This is the best thing I've ever got!" I said as I folded the letter back up, "it's incredible. Thank you so much."

Cathleen pulled me in for a hug and I grinned. Cathleen was a gem, one of a kind. No one would have thought to put this box together for me but her. Cathleen kept everything, concert stubs, cinema tickets. Everything. The shot glass was proof of it.

I pulled the shot glass out to examine it and saw the small chip in the corner. "Is this the one I threw at Cormac?" I asked with a grimace.

Cathleen nodded. "The very one."

"Oh fuck. That was not pleasant."

She threw back her head and laughed. A bright ringing laugh. Her laugh. "What was it he said to you?"

"He took the vodka bottle off me and told me he'd thought I'd had enough. I told him no I was dead on. Then he hid the bottle so I threw the shot glass at him." I replied. "Clearly I hadn't had enough cause I remember that in a painful amount of detail."