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Previously

“Gina and Moira held Kelly as she wept. As betrayals go, there are few worse than a slap in the face by a parent, and made worse by the rejection of everything Kelly had come to know about herself. Kevin didn’t just reject what she had done, but finally had displayed what Fiona and Tommy had feared all along; Kevin rejected who Kelly was. As the three held each other, a fourth girl joined them.

“Don’t worry. We all know what you go through every day, Glyn…. And we’re right here for you!” It was too much for the tall, awkward girl. Her face grew bright red as she shook her head and ran off past the line of drummers and pipers entering the pavilion and was gone.

Late afternoon….

Glynnis emerged from behind the bleachers; face red from crying. As she stepped through the crowd a hand touched her arm and yanked.

“Just where have you been?” She looked up into her father’s face and began to speak but he cut her off.

“Never mind. Just get over there and help your sister.” He used his hand in a broad gesture and scowled. Glynnis ran over to Maggie’s side and went to grab the large bag by the handle. Maggie reached over and touched her sister’s arm and shook her head.
‘
“No, Glyn…. It’s okay.” She dropped her gaze a bit and stared at the bag before continuing.

“I’ve given it all to Mary Esposito…. “ She was crying but she pointed to her foot.

“Mommy thinks it’s broken… the ankle. Mary’s mom is getting her car from the parking lot. They said she could drive down behind the pavilion.” Glynnis shook her head and her face turned red.

“But you love dancing.” As soon as she said the words she felt a rude shove from behind.

“What’s this about Mary’s mom? If anyone is going to take you to the hospital it’ll be me.” He snapped as he looked back and forth between Maggie and Glynnis, as if somehow Glynnis was to blame for her sister’s injury.

“NO!”

The word was as forceful a denial as Cameron Davison had ever heard; that it came from his wife was even more remarkable. He turned to find Nancy step next to Glynnis. She put her arm around the girl and kissed her cheek; it was a horribly wonderful day all around for crying for the Davison girls as she spoke softly.

“I am so sorry, Glyn. Please forgive me?” The three shared a sad if persistent commonality; no one ever thought to say no to Cam. But it was about to change. She stepped away from Glynnis and placed herself between Cam and the girls.

“We’re going to the hospital, Cam. If you want to, you can follow us.” She pointed to the green Odyssey that had pulled up on the other side of the gate.

“What?” He was at a loss for words; a good thing for everyone all around, but perhaps best for him, since his silence gave a tacit permission for everyone and anyone to talk.

“We’re not going with you. We’ll see you at the hospital, Cam. Simple as that.” Nancy’s growth in that moment seemed not only exponential but contagious. Cam stepped close to his wife and seemed to glare at her; an expression all too common and painful a prologue to each succeeding horrible chapter in their lives. His face turned red and he pounded his right fist against his thigh. But instead of a free swing of an open hand, he felt Glynnis grab his wrist.

“It’s your fault she’s hurt, Dad. She wouldn’t have…” Glynnis turned to Maggie. The girl had practically cowered behind her mother at this point and Nancy had turned away, almost shielding Maggie. Glynnis grabbed Cam’s other wrist and held them tight.

“I’m your father…You can’t….” He sputtered. Glynnis was crying hard by then, but undaunted through her tears, she spoke.

“No, Daddy… No. Leave Mommy alone. No!” The girl might have been awkward, but she still was tall enough to stand nearly eye to eye. Her face grew even hotter as she struggled to keep her hands on her father’s wrists.

“No! Stop it….stop it…” He went to wrench his hands free. She let go of his wrists and began to pound on his chest but then buried her face against his arm. He went to raise his hand quickly but half-way up his arm slowed and he put his hand on her back.

“Please, Daddy…” she cried as his hand began to pat her. He looked over at Nancy and Maggie; the fear seemed to have gone out of their eyes but they continued to cry. It was the breaking point for Cameron Davison. Some men hit the wall and become even more abject in their failure to be good; giving up and remaining stuck. Some walk away; never really all that bad, but never gaining any insight into their own selfish choices.

But some men and women learn from their failures; a few quicker than others, but with change mixed with cautious hope. Cameron Davison had hit his own wall, and the change had begun with great movement. He literally fell to his knees and hugged Glynnis around the legs and wept. Nancy’s eyes widened in relief as the one thing she had prayed for besides her own need for change was displayed like the ending of a nice fairy tale as the man she thought she had married finally broke the chains of his own making as he became a father and husband for the very first time.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” He cried as he fell backward; sitting on the hard concrete of the pavilion floor as his transformation was laid bare for everyone in the pavilion to see. Maggie hobbled over and grabbed her sister’s hand and squeezed.

“It’s okay, Glyn….I think it’s gonna be okay….”

That evening at the O’Conner home…

“We’ve got a fold-out in the den for now, Kel…” Fiona hugged the girl and smiled.

“What if he won’t….”

She put her head down in defeat but her aunt would have none of it. Fiona lifted the girl’s face with one hand while gently touching Kelly’s cheek; wiping away yet another tear.

“We’ll talk with him. After today, I don’t think he’s going to be very resistant. I’m sorry it came to this. You deserve more and you’ve never gotten what you need…” Kelly’s face grew sadder and Fiona added quickly,

“Not since your mother….” She choked up at the mention of her sister, but finished.

“I know this…” she paused and glanced up and down at the girl. Kelly wore pajamas; nothing spectacular other than that they were a soft cream with a maroon satin piping.

“This is what your mom knew…that we knew…” Fiona glanced over at Moira and Gina as they set some plates on the kitchen table. Tommy had gone out for pizza and was due back shortly. Kelly looked back and forth between her aunt and the two girls at the table and it was just too much and just enough to take in as she began to cry; a nice relieved sob after months of desperate tears. Fiona drew her into a hug.

“You look just like your mother, honey.” She stroked Kelly’s hair and hugged her tight; probably the best hug she had gotten in years, but only the first of many to come. Fiona gently grabbed the girl’s hands in hers and walked her into the kitchen; sitting her down.

“A welcome home meal!” Gina said, pointing to the table. As she spoke a knock came at the front door.

“Go open the door and let your Dad in? He’s probably got his hands full.” Moira nodded and went to the front door. Opening it, she found the doorway occupied by her uncle Kevin. He didn’t look happy at all and she backed away in dread.

“MOM? You better come out here,” Moira called. Fiona hurried to the front door and confronted her brother-in-law by stepping between him and Moira.

“No, Kev….Not here and not now,” she breathed out a heavy sigh and went to close the door but he spoke.

“I…Can I….” he stammered. She thought he had been drinking and she was half right. He wasn’t at all sober leading up to his miserable treatment of Kelly, but he went and sat in his car until the parking lot was empty and way after the sun had set before his drive over to the O’Conner’s. Fiona put her hand up to silence him but he persisted.

“I…I’m sorry, Fi….really.” He looked away before casting his gaze down.

“Can I see….her?”

The first steps in the right direction can be painfully accusative since we often take too many steps in the wrong direction first. But Kevin O’Meara’s first new steps were accompanied by a realization that it was better to be ashamed and admit his failure than to be proud and alone. He began to cry; the first time Fiona and Tommy could remember him crying since Heather’s death. And Kelly could hardly ever remember her father feeling sorry for anything. She stood up slowly .

“Dad?” The girl practically whispered as the word seemed to be almost muted. He raised his head and looked over at the daughter he never understood but in a way always knew he had. And Fiona was right; the girl was so much like her mother. Kev shook his head and went to reach for the front door but Moira grabbed his arm.

“Come on, Uncle Kev…. It’s okay.” It certainly wasn’t okay that he had neglected his child for years. It would never be okay that the years between her birth and that moment could never be retrieved; no matter how well-intended his apology might be. But it was okay that he came to realize before it was too late that he had been blessed with a wonderful child that was his to cherish; not for what she could do or how well she might perform, but merely for who she was. Moira pulled her uncle into a quick hug and a whisper.

“Please, Uncle Kev…okay?”

Moira literally shoved him toward Kelly; the girl had stepped up and was almost hiding behind Fiona. She pulled her around and walked her over to Kev. The two stood face to face for only a few seconds before Kevin broke down; putting his hand in front of his face as he wept. Kelly held back; he’d been sorry before, and she’d invested too much time letting her guard down. But something in his face changed all that as she saw that it really wasn’t the man she had always known, but an entirely new man; broken and ashamed and frightened and finally grateful. She walked the rest of the way and pulled him into an awkward hug; it almost seemed that each was consoling the other, and that was likely right.

“Somebody get the door?” Tommy’s voice called from the screen door at the front doorway. Moira opened it and Tommy stepped inside; his arms filled with two pizza boxes, a bag with wings and salad, and a two-liter Sprite balanced precariously on the pile. Moira grabbed the bottle of soda and walked into the kitchen as Tommy followed.

“What did I miss,” Tommy asked Fiona as she came over and kissed him on the cheek. She smiled and laughed softly.

“Just the prelim, hon. I think the main event is about to start,” she said as she pointed to father and daughter still hugging and crying in the middle of the living room.

“Okay, then,” Tommy said as if reconciliation was a nightly affair at the O’Conner house. Gina tugged at his coat and he turned.

“Mr. O’Conner? UH…mmmm…since …” She stammered. Tommy chuckled and stroked his chin like an old sage before winking at Fiona. He smiled at Gina and nodded only a tiny bit.

“Yes, Gina….I AM in a great mood. And yes….you can date my daughter,” he said, trying to look completely surprised. Moira ran over to him and literally jumped a bit off the ground and into his hug, dropping the bottle of soda on the floor with a fizzy thud.

“Oh, Daddy, thanks…thank you….” She kissed his face a few times and eased back to the floor.

“Okay….before the second act begins, does anyone mind if we sit down for dinner?” Gina and Moira embraced and began to giggle while Fiona just walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.

“You serve!” She laughed and looked over at Kevin and Kelly and then at Moira and Gina before remarking,

“It might be a while before anyone joins us, my dear.” Tommy nodded at his wife and she grinned before finishing.

“Oh, what the hell,” she laughed as she drew her husband into a very nice kiss. She pulled back slightly and licked her lip as she stared at Tommy before saying,

“Mmmm…..Pepperoni!”

A Stá³r mo Chroá­
Traditional (O'Higgins0
Sarah & Rita Keane
Performed by
Cathy Jordan and Dervish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oARdc1EqhWE