1929 (36 page)

“Is that when your family came here? After
losing everything?” he asked.

“No. They remained. They buried their dead,
rebuilt their homes, bartered skills and services to help one
another along. They cared for their fields and reset the boundary
stones. Families crammed together under one roof as life was slowly
restored. It was a great deal o' tiresome work. And it wasn’t
without tears and sorrow, mind ye. But in time, babes were born
under newly thatched roofs, couples were wed in green meadows of
summer and crops were harvested in fields of gold the following
fall.

“My people survived the greatest storm in
over three hundred years and came out stronger and more resilient
for it. And when hard times come now to my family, here and back
home, when compared to the devastation and heartache of that day,
it truly puts it into perspective for us.” She stopped walking and
turned to face Jonathan, still holding his arm. “Tis not the end of
the world, Mr. Jonathan. Babes will be born, yer to be an uncle.
Homes and marriages can be rebuilt if ye work hard enough. And
love, hope, and faith are things ye can harvest all year long. If
yer in the right mind to.” Her words were gentle and sincere, and
Jonathan fought the sting in his eyes and the tightness in his
throat, realizing the intention of Maura’s story. He cleared his
throat, looked away from her, unable to speak for a moment, and
then asked her a detail she omitted from her story.

“You said two things survived that storm.
What were they?” he asked, still looking away.

“The stone foundation of the cottage, and
wedged between, near where the door once hung, a small cross made
by her mother.” She pulled the straw cross out of her pocket and
showed it to Jonathan. “That cross remained in our family, passed
down and protected as a great treasure for generations. One year my
mother carefully unwove the fragile and delicate fibers, which were
by then over seventy years old and beginning to show wear. She wove
new crosses for each of her children and within each, one of the
original fibers was woven in from the cross that survived that
storm. And this,” she said, holding it out to Jonathan, “is one of
the crosses she made. She gave it to me the year before I left
Ireland with Ian, and I want ye to have it, Mr. Jonathan.”

Jonathan looked at her, stunned. “Maura, I
can’t take this. This is far too special–”

“I insist and I won’t hear another word
about it. I have the story in my heart, Mr. Jonathan. And, I know
the lesson within the story. It needs to be with someone who needs
it. And that someone is
you
.”
He opened his mouth to protest again, but she quickly interceded.
“If ye don’t take it, Mr. Jonathan, I shall have me mother on the
next boat from Ireland to argue with ye herself, and I promise ye I
am a mild-mannered angel compared to
that
woman.”

Jonathan smiled, finding it hard to believe
someone could be more brazen and stubborn than Maura.

“You are an angel, Maura,” he said, holding
the cross in the palm of his hand for a moment before tucking it in
his pocket. “I’ll take good care of it, I promise.”

“I know ye will,” she said, patting his
cheek.

Ava and Ian waited for them on the front
steps of St. Brigid’s Church. Maura gave Ava a pat on the arm and a
wink as she passed her. Jonathan and Ava followed, unsure of what
to do once inside. The church was packed with only a few seats open
in the pews toward the back. Maura found a small open space a few
rows behind Claire and Aryl and asked people to make room for the
four of them. Jonathan looked around nervously, having no idea what
to expect. He had a clear view of Aryl’s face and could see the
fatigue in it for the first time. Dark circles around his eyes and
lines on his forehead that weren’t there a few months ago. His eyes
weary as Claire put an arm around him and pulled his head down on
her shoulder. He marveled at how Aryl had been holding the hope for
the entire group for all this time. He had been looking for a way
out since the first day and had been doing it alone. Always looking
for an opportunity and, more importantly, believing he would fine
one. He had just as much determination to escape this life as
Jonathan had guilt for putting them in it. He admired Aryl now more
than any one other man he knew. And Jonathan knew that if it
weren’t for him, he would not be sitting here now.

Jonathan was broken from his fixation on Aryl
as there was a collective shuffling and everyone rose. Jonathan
rose with them, although he didn’t know why he was doing so, and
noticed the sharp smell of the incense as the priest made his way
down the center aisle. He caught sight of Caleb, a few rows up and
to the right, and his eyes stayed on him as everyone sat.

Caleb sat with his arm around Arianna and she
leaned in close, whispering to him. She turned suddenly toward
Jonathan, as if feeling his eyes on them, and smiled. Aryl’s right,
he thought. Caleb turned, gave him a hearty grin and waved, and
Jonathan, like Aryl, couldn’t remember a time when he had seen
Caleb so happy. He didn’t even look tired. Instead, he looked like
a boy in line for a ride at a carnival. But that’s Caleb, he
thought with affection.

When everyone stood again, Jonathan’s eyes
were pulled from Caleb and Arianna. He looked down at Ava and felt
overwhelming guilt swallow him whole; guilt for almost leaving her,
almost abandoning her to fend for herself in this world, for asking
Aryl and Caleb to look after her in his place. Only six short hours
had passed since he sat in the bathtub, certain of his choice. But
now, as he sat in this beautiful cathedral, he was astounded that
he could have ever considered it. He had almost left her. He let
her believe he cared for another more than her. He let her cry,
feel scared and alone when his own pain paralyzed him. He looked
around unsure as everyone moved to kneel in front of each pew. He
did as the others did and bent his head in prayer. He didn’t know
who or what he was apologizing to for almost taking his own life,
but he did so sincerely. And while he possessed only a shred of
faith that was engulfed by doubt, he asked for strength and
promised in return to wake up every morning and try.

Simply try.

∞∞∞

When they returned home, it was after
two-thirty in the morning. Jonathan was reminded of what he had
almost done when he walked into his apartment and saw the broken
chair scattered about the living room. He looked at the splintered
wood for a moment and then turned back toward the door.

“I’ll be right back. I have to, ah...do
something,” he told Ava awkwardly.

∞∞∞

“Aryl, wait!” he called. Aryl poked his head
out.

“What?”

“I, uh, just wanted to say thanks. For
earlier, you know.” He shifted uncomfortably and shoved his hands
in his pockets. “I also want you to know that I’m going to start
pulling my weight. You and Caleb have carried it for too long. I
never meant to be a burden, I just-” He shrugged, lacking the words
to explain himself.

“You weren’t a burden, Jon. You would have
done it for me.”

“I would,” he said, staring at Aryl’s
shoes.

“How’s it with Ava?” Aryl asked with
concern.

“Well.” He rubbed the back of his neck and
grimaced. “Not great. But I’m gonna work on that,” he said.

“That’s good to hear. You do that,” Aryl said
and smiled.

“Listen, one more thing, can I get my razor
back? I’m gonna look like a lumberjack by tomorrow,” he smirked
with bloodshot eyes, rubbing his stubble.

“Not just yet. Besides, the rugged look suits
you. I was thinkin’ about trying it myself,” he said, grinned and
stepped back into his door. “Night, Jon.”

“Night.”

∞∞∞

When he returned, Ava was walking out of the
bedroom with the Christmas card he had left on her pillow. She
looked at him, her expression mingled confusion and
hopefulness.

“Thank you for the card,” she said a little
too quickly as he closed the door.

“You’re welcome,” he said and taking a deep
breath, still standing by the door, grateful that his goodbye note
had become the proverbial icebreaker. “I mean it. I really do.” His
eyes were sincere and Ava felt overwhelming gratitude to Maura for
whatever it was she said or did to make Jonathan soften toward
her.

“I love you, too,” she said quietly, looking
down at the card in her hands. “More than anything.”

“I know tomorrow we’re supposed to go to
Aryl’s, but after that I really want to talk to you. I feel like
I’m going to drop I’m so tired, or I would talk to you tonight,” he
said apologetically.

“No, it’s okay. I’m tired, too. We’ll talk
tomorrow.” She turned to the room, read over the card once more,
and put it in her small, wooden box of precious things before
changing for bed.

∞∞∞

“I think everyone knows why we’re here,” Aryl
started. “And actually, I’ll be amazed if everyone doesn’t already
know,” he said, unsure that his friends were able to keep the
secret. “I’ve told Jon and Caleb, they’ve been helping me work out
the details.”

“I told Arianna last week,” Caleb confessed.
“I didn’t want her to worry about the baby coming home to this
place.”

“That’s understandable,” Aryl said. “I have
to admit, I told Claire last week as well,” Aryl added and turned
to Jonathan for his confession. Ava looked around in disbelief.

“Am I always the last one to know anything
around here!” she cried, frustrated.

“Jon, why don’t you tell her?” Aryl suggested
with a grin.

“Well, I have to give Aryl the credit. He
found this and worked out the initial details. I just found out
last night, actually. We’re moving,” he said bluntly. “We’re all
going in on a small building, a little better than this one, but,
with a lot of hard work, it’ll be a lot better than this one.”

Ava’s eyes lit up. “Really? How? When?”

Jonathan smiled at her excitement. “Yes.
We’re signing a private agreement with the owner, and we move in on
March first. We plan on taking the profit, adding it to everything
we can manage to save, and do that repeatedly until we don’t have
to work at the yard anymore and can manage buildings full-time.
It’ll take a long time, but we might be able to one day have our
own house again.”

Ava stared at him speechless, not so much at
his words but at the genuine smile that touched his eyes, and the
spark of life that had returned to those eyes. She laughed a hard
laugh and threw her arms around him. She pressed her face into his
neck, fighting tears that had nothing to do with the building.
Grateful to be close to him again, smell his familiar scent, see
life in his eyes, and feel his arms tight around her, the building
didn’t matter. This was her home.

Jonathan kept his head low to her shoulder,
his eyes closed. Aryl watched them for a moment, turned to Caleb
and they both exchanged a look of relief. Jonathan didn’t let go of
her as Aryl started talking again.

“I thought we could eat first. Claire is
warming up the leftovers that Maura sent last night, and then we
could take a walk and go see the place,” he offered.

“Sounds good,” Jonathan said and pulled away
but kept one arm around Ava’s shoulders, needing her close.

Arianna followed Claire to the kitchen while
Caleb and Aryl talked of improvements, repairs, and ideas for the
new place. Jonathan distantly overheard their discussion – ‘white
paint’ - ‘flower boxes’ - ‘brickwork to the stoop’ - words that
slipped in between his thoughts that all revolved around Ava.

Claire called everyone to dinner, and they
gathered around the table. The mood by far the most jovial it had
ever been at one of their gatherings. Ava sat as close as possible
to Jonathan, who sat on her right side so he could keep an arm
around her and eat with his right hand.

“There’s good news, good news and bad news,”
Caleb announced as they started passing food around the table.
“What’ll it be?”

“Good!” everyone said in unison.

“All right. The first good news is that I
have that last bottle of wine I promised for Christmas dinner,” he
said as he put it on the table.

“What’s the second good news?” Jonathan
asked.

“Arianna isn’t drinking, so there’s more for
us,” Caleb said, grinning and Aryl cheered as he poured everyone a
glass.

“Very funny, now what’s the bad news?”
Arianna asked.

“Well, since we haven’t done an actual cash
count, we need to do that tonight. But I know that we have spent a
lot of what little cash we brought here. Regardless, we have to
save. And I mean save like mad. We need to take our expenses down
to only what’s necessary to stay alive,” Caleb said as he glanced
toward a very uncomfortable looking Arianna. “We need to save well
over the down payment. We need money for repairs and renovations
and furniture. We have two months to make this happen. And I really
think we can do it if we try.”

“I do, too,” Aryl added. “It’ll be hard, but
it’s only two months. And however miserable it is, it’ll feel great
to leave this place and move into our own.”

“Truer words were never spoken,” Jonathan
said, raising his glass and tapping it to Aryl’s.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Claire jumped up to
tune the radio to carols. “It is Christmas, after all.”

∞∞∞

“Here it is,” Aryl announced. The others
stood looking slightly surprised at the old brick building. It was
considerably better than anyone expected. At least they could see
the potential in it. Aryl pulled a ring of keys from of his
pocket.

“The owner lent me these, so I could show
everyone today,” he said, holding open the door as they filed in.
The first vacant apartment they looked at was a two bedroom and was
in the best shape of all the units. “We discussed it, and we think
Caleb and Arianna should take this one.”