I've met some folks who say that I'm a dreamer
And I've no doubt there's truth in what they say
But sure a body's bound to be a dreamer
When all the things she loves are far away

The train pulled up at the station and Shiv looked out of the window at the scenery on her left. The rolling landscape she had expected was still there, but now partially obscured by recent housing developments and a small warehouse.

"This your stop, Miss?" The Guard said with a an accent..Pakistani or some central Asia people group," she thought.

"Yes, Thanks." Her own accent had begun to come back already. Like many folks visiting the old country, mere exposure to the air seems to thicken any hint of a brogue, even for those who never had one.

As she stepped down off the carriage, a tall man, perhaps ages with her, approached her rapidly, nearly knocking down another lad as he raced to her side.

"I've got a car waitin' just for you, darlin'" He said, almost rudely.

"No, thanks." She said quietly, wishing to be cordial while putting him off.

"Really, I'd be glad to give you a ride anywhere." He said. His face was close enough to hers to smell his breath...cigarettes and beer at nine in the morning.

"That's alright...Thank you, but no." she repeated.

"Oh, come on, darlin'. Let's just go over to my car." She saw that it was a dated Nissan; very old, very dirty, and probably smelled worse than his breath.

“Kindly step away from me.” Shiv said emphatically. The man apparently hadn’t heard her at all and put his hand on her arm.

Turning quickly, she grabbed his wrist, twisted it behind his back, and shoved hard, pushing him up against his car.

“Fuck off, you dickhead!” She said as she watched his head bang hard against the windshield.

“Fookin’ bitch,” the young man shouted as he fumbled for his keys. As he got into his car, some of the other cabbies stood, pointed at him, and laughed.

“Good for you, missy, good for you.” One of the men shouted while the others continued to laugh as the man drove away. Shiv shook from the uncharacteristic confrontation she had managed.

“Excuse me,” a voice came from behind her. She turned around, fists balled up, ready for a fight. The man in front of her put his hands up, palms facing her, as if to say, “I don’t want a fight.”

It can be rather disconcerting if you travel to another country, or even another state or province, and someone you meet seems out of place. An Asian girl would seem to fit in Tokyo or Hong Kong. Put her in Chesapeake, Virginia and give her a “southern” accent and she’d almost seem lost. The man in front of her was about her height, which would be about 5’8”. He had a dark, almost olive complexion with eyes almost black as coal and he appeared to be about ten years or so older than Shiv. Nevertheless, when he spoke, he sounded completely out of place.

“Beggin’ your pardon, Miss, but would you be one Siobhan ni Caellach? I've been asked to arrange for a ride for her in my cab.” With a face that belonged in the cast of The Sopranos, his thick brogue threw Shiv off for a moment.

“Yee...yes…I’m Siobhan. And you are?” She smiled warmly.

“Michaeleen…Michaeleen Torricelli.” He smiled back, revealing a nice set of teeth save for one top incisor that was twisted slightly sideways.

“Oh…no…you can’t be… you aren’t.” She stammered. He smiled again and replied.

“One in the same. Me dad was straight off the boat from Siracusa, as they say. Me mum took one look at him…a couple of rolls in the hay, and it was love at third sight!” He chuckled.

“So your grandfather….” She started to say, and thought about it. He interrupted.

“My granddad was the matchmaker for your grandparents…ole Michaeleen Oge Flynn! Mum thought it was clever, namin’ me after him. My dad wanted to name me Vito.”

“Well, Michaeleen Torricelli, I’m very pleased to meet you.” Shiv stuck out her hand and shook his emphatically.

“I can see how you took Jamie Boy to task. He’s a bleedin’ moron, he is. Never had any sense, and he’s almost fookin’ proud of it!” He looked at her hand, marveling at her grip.

“I’d like to stop over at the farm before we go to the Inn, is that okay?” She asked as he put her luggage in the boot.

“Not a problem.” He said as he closed the boot. She smiled and said,

“Our families are like kin…call me Shiv...Shiv Kelly.” She said as she smiled once again.

“Well then, Lassie, you can call me Mr. Torricelli…Mick, if you please.” He said, trying awfully hard not to laugh. He failed miserably.

---

---

And precious things are dreams onto an exile
They take her o'er the land across the sea
Especially when it happens she's an exile
From that dear lovely Isle of Innisfree.

The scenery whisked by as the cab made its way toward the farm. As the car wound its way up the hill, Shiv saw the house emerge from behind a group of oak trees…pag they call them in Gaelige. It was almost a sacred place, but then it would be to her even if they’d been pine or alder. It was blessed to her because it was where her mother was conceived and born… where her parents last visited before they died. They passed the stream coming down the hill from the rise just behind the house.

“We say…that you’re blessed if you have water runnin’ through like your stream here, Shiv. It’s what they call a "thin” place, as your grandmother might say; a place where life and light meet to join the spiritual and the temporal.” Mick said as the car slowly climbed the soft rise. A hedgehog wandered onto the stone wall that paralleled the stream and seemed to watch as the car finished its ascent.

“Here you go, sweetheart. White O’ Mornin.” Mick said as the car pulled up to the house. After decades of just a gravel road, the way had been paved; acknowledging the home’s entry in to the twentieth century even as the rest of the world had moved into the twenty-first.

“I won’t be long…just a few moments to walk around, sorta get familiar with the place.” Shiv got out of the cab and walked up to the front door. Years of neglect saw green paint fading almost to grey on the door, while dirt had almost completely covered the windows of the house in a tan film.

“They haven't really cared about the place, dear. It might have been important at one time, but the family is more interested in what it can be sold for. Too fookin’ bad!” Mick said as he stepped beside her.

“I’m not even interested in the property, Mick” Shiv said as she looked up and down at the house.

“It’s really the house I’m interested in. My mother used to speak of it…like it was almost a holy place.” She bit her lip.

“I stayed with Nana Mary Kate when mom and dad came back for the last time. Like a pilgrimage I suppose. I don’t remember much about it, since I was only ten.” She sighed, wondering if everything might be the same inside.

“I asked Heather for the key, but she didn’t get round to givin’ it to me last time I saw her.” Mick said.

“Didn’t she know I was coming?” Shiv asked.

“Oh for sure she did, dear, but she doesn’t really care at this point. Her sister Katie is holdin’ on to this place like her life depended on it, and she’s lookin’ to find a buyer right quick.” Mick said as he used his arm in a broad gesture to point to the farm.

“How can she sell it, when I have the deed?” Shiv asked as she blew out a breath. Her hands were in her pockets, balled up into angry fists.

“This is mine…My parents left it to me when they died.” Shiv said angrily as she looked around.

“You may have the deed, darlin’, but their family has been farmin’ this land since before you were born.” Mick said.

“I guess that’s why you’ll be goin’ to court to face off with Katie…I expect she doesn’t much agree with you…I’m sorry, Shiv, but a judge might even decide with her…that’s just the way it is.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair.” Shiv said.

“That it isn’t, but it’s still what we have to deal with.” Mick looked at her and smiled.

“We?” Shiv smiled back.

“You don’t think I’ll be lettin’ you face the whole Dannaher family by yerself, do ya?” Mick smiled.

“Why don’t you take a walk around the place for a few…I’m goin’ to sit in the cab and take a wee nap, if you don’t mind?” Mick asked.

“Sure,” Shiv said as she started down the path by the stone wall, heading toward the stream.

The ground hadn’t been cleared, but was still fairly neat, likely owing to the large ewe who sat by the house, chewing on a mouthful of grass. Shiv climbed over the wall and walked by the stream, marveling at all the wild flowers growing on the small banks on either side. A fox jumped over a low hedge only to see Shiv as he landed. He quickly scurried away, leaving the hare he was chasing to leap over the stream, onto the wall and up the hill.

About a hundred yards away from the house, Shiv stepped back and sat down on the wall. She took off her sweater, revealing a green tank top. As she looked further down the stream she noticed a glint in the water. A shiny rock or maybe an old can? She stood up and walked down the hill and stopped where she thought she had seen the glint.

As she stooped down, she heard a bird land on the wall next to her. He was almost all black, with a bit of brown under his wing and a white breast. He opened his mouth and cried loudly before flying away. She turned back to the stream and saw the glint of a ring lying in the bed next to the bank. She reached in and picked it up. The ring was gold and had a band crafted to look like two hands grasping a heart topped by a small crown; it was old but strikingly beautiful in its simplicity. She pocketed the ring and started back up the hill.

“Did you see that,” Shiv asked Mick as she got to the car. She then noticed that Mick was sound asleep in the driver’s seat. She pulled the ring out of her pocket once again and looked at it. The ring was on her property, so that must mean that it was her grandmother’s. She gazed once again at the design…she’d check it out on her laptop when she got to the inn, but for now, just looking at the beauty of it for its own sake.

The little bird she had seen earlier landed on the thatch of the roof of the house. He seemed to be eyeing her up and down. He cried once again before flying into a copse on the other side of the stream and then he was gone. Mick stirred and looked up at Shiv.

“Mick…take a look at this,” Shiv said as she dug into her pocket. She pulled out the ring she had found in the stream and handed it to him.

“Well, darlin’, things may seem dark, but that’s because it’s always darkest before the dawn.

“I’ve heard that before, but never seen it come ever happen.”

“Oh believe me, darlin… you’re blessed, and it can only get better.” Mick smiled as he got out of the car.

“You say you found this in the stream?” He asked.

“Yes…I saw a glint and found this about a hundred yards downstream on the closest bank.” She used her hand in a broad gesture.

“Well, since it was on the bank, it was likely put there,” he said with a wry smile.

“This is getting better all the time. Someone considered or considers this land to be sacred…this ring is an offering.” He handed it back. The bird cried again, getting Mick’s attention.

“And listen to that darlin’,” he said as he pointed to the copse where the bird had flown. He smiled once again and said,

“I recognize that sound…that’s a Ringed Ouzel….very rare…and very precious indeed.” Mick patted Shiv on the back.

“The bird is hard to find, even here and now. Mostly in the nine counties, but here only once in a blue moon.” Mick smiled once again as the bird called from beyond the copse in the grove of oak trees on the other side of the stream.

“What does that mean to me?” Shiv looked at him with a quizzical expression.

“What that means is the bird is a harbinger of fortune since he’s likely just like you and your kin…tenacious and he protects his own, just like your grandfather did with your great uncle. Honey, it’s, as they say, in the bag.” Mick patted Shiv once more on the back. They got into the cab and drove off into town, their departure serenaded by the cry of the Ouzel as he flew over the house one more time.

---

---

But dreams don't last
Tho' dreams are not forgotten
And soon I'm back to stern reality
But tho' they paved the footways here with gold dust
I still would choose the Isle of Innisfree

I wander o'er green hills thro' dreamy valleys,
And find a peace no other land could know.
I hear the birds make music fit for angels,
And watch the rivers laughing as they flow

The cab pulled up to the inn. Mick got out and grabbed Shiv's bags from the boot. Walking in, Shiv noticed several young men standing in the foyer.

"I tole you she'd come here. Din I?" The towheaded lad pointed to Shiv and smiled.

"An yer the girl that kicked Jamie Patterson's arse, are ye not?" He took off his San Diego Chargers baseball cap with a flourish.

"Who?" Shiv turned back to Mick, who pantomimed two hands on a steering wheel.

"Oh, yes, I suppose I am." She looked back again at Mick, who smiled.

"And she'd be happy to show you a ting or two, Paddy boy." He raised his hand in a mock threat before tossling the teen's hair.

"Now off with you, lads. This girl needs to check in and we both need a pint, so be on your way." The young men all bowed gracefully while snickering. They walked out the door, patting Paddy Boy on the back. Mick and Shiv walked to the desk, where a very large man stood, very dark and very friendly. He seemed to be of Middle Eastern descent.

"Michaeleen Torricelli, how the fook are ye...I haven't see ya since last month at yer mother's house.

"Siobhan ni Caellagh, meet me cousin Ahmed." Mick laughed softly.

"Please to meet you, miss." He smiled and hit a bell on the desk. A short red haired boy, about fourteen or so, came out from a door behind the desk.

"Take the lady's bags to room four, and mind you don't drop her laptop, or you'll be paying for it 'til yer my age, Davey Lad."

The boy smiled at Shiv and took the bags down the hall.

"I expect you’ll be stayin' at the farm sometime soon....Room's been paid for 'til next Tuesday." He smiled again wryly, as if he knew a secret.

"I made no payment other than the deposit," Shiv said as she looked back and forth between Ahmed and Mick.

"No mystery, lass. Yer cousin Heather paid for the room. I guess you might take it as a peace offerin', aye?" Ahmed grinned broadly, revealing a missing upper tooth. Shiv looked askance at him.

"Oh, the tooth. Neddie Colhane is out of town this week. I have to wait until he returns on Monday. We've only got one orthodontist in town that I'm related to." He laughed softly.

"Will you be wantin' to look at the room or are you plannin' for lunch?" Ahmed asked.

"Perhaps lunch, Ahmmie, but mostly a pint or three, yes?" Mick said as they started toward the door.

"You might want to tread softly, Miss Caellagh, yer cousin Katie is majorly pissed, and she doesn’t mind tellin' anyone and everyone who'll listen." Ahmed smiled once again, waved his hand at the direction of the pub, and retreated into the office behind the desk.

---

---

They walked down the street and over a few blocks to Cohan’s Pub, the place where Shiv’s grandfather and great uncle fought; eventually becoming good friends as well as in-laws. As they walked inside, they were greeted by the sound of a woman singing and the strains of fiddle, flute, guitar and spoons.

The cat she went a-hunting and found the barn a-blazing
In fact she's come a-calling, a-calling, a-calling
Wake up farm boys! The barn is burning down!

And the cat she's got to hide herself behind the rat she's eating
So as not to show a smirk and maybe get a beating
The farmer slips on his dungarees and he falls down the stairs
The rats came out in their hundreds and the cat she caught a-plenty
She's got the artful dodger, the dodger, the dodger
She spied him in the burning hay the barn is burning down!

The band finished to the cheers of the crowd, which was mixed equally with men and women. Cohan’s was a latecomer to the equality dance, only opening its doors to women in the late eighties. The diminutive woman smiled as a man spoke into the mike,

“Ladies and gentlemen, thanks to Dervish once again… from Sligo…Dervish…a hand please.”The crowd applauded once again as the band sat back and the waitress brought them drinks.

“You’ll have to excuse the place; it’s positively modern, losin’ most of its color.” Mick joked.

The pub hadn’t seen a new coat of paint in decades, and despite the No Smoking sign on the wall behind the bar, the place still smelled of cigarettes and stale beer.

“I can see the progress they’ve made,” Shiv said, pointing to the Unisex lavatory.

“Sure, and Cohan just changed the sign, is all.” Mick seemed to wax eloquently in a brogue that fluctuated as much as the stock market.

“Hey, ya fookin’ wop, ye, how many times do I have to tell you, no fookin’ dagos allowed in here,” the man behind the bar shouted. The man came from around the bar and walked quickly toward Mick, a stern look on his face. But instead of hitting him, the man embraced Mick and burst out laughing.

“Siobhan ni Caellach, meet Peter Torricelli, me brother and favorite all-time barkeep.” Mick smiled and Peter wiped his hands on his pants and shook Shiv’s outstretched hand.

“Oid be quiet for the time bein’, Miss Caellach.” Peter said, pointing to the end of the bar. Sitting on a stool, holding his head in his hand was Jamie Patterson, looking very tired and sad.

“He’s been in here since ten tellin’ everyone who’ll listen how he got beat up by some ruffians at Reilly’s over in Castletown…now we know better, don’t we?” Peter said with a wink.

Shiv and Mick sat down at a table in the corner with a couple of pints. Peter had just finished taking their order when a figure blocked the light. Looking up, Shiv saw Jamie Patterson standing over her.

“Yer not foolin’ anyone, ya little fag, ya,” Jamie actually spat on her sleeve, however unintentionally.

“I may not be very bright, some might say, but I have a good memory…I can remember all da way back to when I was a kid…all the way! Ye just better watch yer fookin’ arse!” He threw some coins on the table.

“Enjoy yer drink, you fookin’ queer…it’s the last one you’ll be havin’ here.” Jamie stormed out of the bar, leaving the half-full pub wondering what happened. Mick quickly assessed the situation. He put his index finger next to his head, circling it in a broad gesture.

“He’s fookin’ nuts. And he got his arse kicked by a fookin’ girl…This girl.” He laughed and Peter started clapping. Before a second had passed, the whole crowd was applauding.

“Ye might just be the most popular person here, Shiv…enjoy it while you can,” Mick continued as the crowd whistled and cheered.

---

---

“I’m going to go home and check on my dog, Miss Shiv Kelly. I’ll be by tomorrow by about nine, so you can go visit yer cousins, yes?” Mick said as they exited the pub.

“Thank you, Michaeleen Torricelli…for everything.” Shiv leaned over and kissed Mick on the cheek.

“No problem…like I said, we’re kin, yes?” He smiled and walked down the block opposite the way they came. Shiv walked up the block toward the street to the Inn. She looked in a storefront, checking her image in the window. Frowning once, she shrugged and turned the corner….right into a fist to her shoulder. She fell to the ground, hitting her elbow on the curb with a loud crack.

“Ya fookin’ fag…Who do ya tink yer foolin with that look and all?”’ Jamie Patterson stood over Shiv’s prostrate form. She rubbed her elbow and went to stand up, but fell back down, or rather was pushed rudely back down by Jamie’s boot.

“Where do ya think yer goin’, ya fookin’ queer. I’m not through with you yet.” He kicked her in the side, evincing a loud cry.

“Yer after somethin’ of mine, ya fag. And I’ll not let you take it!” He said.

“What are you talking about?” Shiv pled as tears of pain poured down her face.

“I’ll tell ya what. White O”Mornin’…Yer comin’ in here without so much as an if ya please, ya fookin’ bastard.” He practically shouted.

“What…” Shiv tried to speak, but Jamie kicked her hard in the side once again.

“Shut up, fag. I’ll do the talkin’ Ya see, I’ve taken a fancy to that farm, ya see. And yer cousin Katie is the key. Oi marry her and it’s mine. And oi will marry her…she just doesn’t know it yet.” He laughed. He stepped back, looking like he was about to kick her again. One more step back, but he fell to the ground at a loud crack, owing to the gun barrel of a Smith and Wesson Thirty-Eight Special that hit him on the side of the head.

“What the fook,” he shouted, but before he could get up, a figure pounced on his back and shoved the gun in his ear.

“I wouldn’t get up just yet, Jamie Lad, if I were you.” Mick Torricelli said softly, pushing the gun against Jamie’s temple.

“Now you and me are going to have a little talk, we are, aye?” Mick almost seemed to coo.

“Now wait just a fookin’ minute,” was all Jamie could say before Mick cracked him in the head with the gun again.

“I’m sorry…I should have said I’ll do the talkin’ ya fookin’ moron.” Mick was a little louder but still calm.

“Now here’s my idea…let’s see if you go for it, shall we?” Mick pushed the gun up against Jamie’s ear and continued.

“If I so much as hear a peep out of you, I swear I will beat your fookin’ head in right here and now, do you fookin’ understand?” Mick leaned closer and whispered.

“Do you understand? A nod will do.” He laughed softly. Jamie nodded yes.

“You are not to bother this young lady, do I make myself fookin’ clear?” Mick said.

“She’s not a lady, she’s…” Jamie was interrupted by the loud crack of the gun hitting the top of his head.

"Owwww!"

“Not very bright indeed...ya fookin’ moron. Now, as I was sayin’, You will not speak to her, you will not even come close to her, aye?“ He pushed the gun against Jamie’s ear once again. Jamie nodded.

“And here’s the kicker, as they say. If I find out you’ve laid even one finger on her.” Jamie opened his mouth to speak, but the bang of the gun on his head silenced him once again.

“If you hurt her in any way, I swear on me mother’s grave I will come find you wherever you are and take this gun and blow your fookin’ brains out, do I make myself clear? Jamie nodded again. Mick stood up and offered Jamie a hand. As he was almost up, Mick kneed him in the groin.

“Now get outta here, ya fookin’ coward.” Mick said finally as Jamie beat a hasty retreat around the corner.

“Now here we go, kiddo, grab my hand,” Mick said as Shiv wiped the tears from her face with her arm. Her elbow was scraped and bloody and had already started to congeal on her sleeve. She winced and cried out loudly in pain as she stood.

“Let’s get you over to the surgery to get yourself looked at, okay?” She’s just a couple of doors down, as luck might have it. Mick said as he supported her with his arm.

“O..ok…kkkay,” Shiv stammered. As they walked Mick tried to keep the mood as light as possible by singing to himself.

“And the cat she's got to hide herself behind the rat she's eating so as not to show a smirk and maybe get a beating…The farmer slips on his dungarees and he falls down the stairs….” He sang softly as he picked up the girl in his arms and carried her to the doctor’s office.

---

---

Well, Kathleen, Darling? What’s the damage, Mick said to the Doctor; yet another member of Mick’s extended family

“Well, Miss Kelly, you’ve got two cracked ribs, and I’m afraid your humerus has a small fracture. Why don’t you lie back and relax as much as you can while I get a soft cast for your arm. We’ll just tape up your ribs for now, and I want to see you back here in a few days, okay?”

The doctor left the exam room. Mick was in the waiting area, leaving Shiv to herself. She lay back and put her head on the pillow on the exam table. She closed her eyes and remembered her last conversation with her grandmother.

---

---

I've met some folks who say that I'm a dreamer,
And I've no doubt there's truth in what they say.
But sure a body's bound to be a dreamer,
When all the things she loves are far away.

“Nana, did you ever feel out of place? Like you didn’t belong?” Shiv was sitting on the floor, her head leaning against the couch and her grandmother stroked her hair. It was red and had grown as long as she had ever worn it, mirroring her grandmother’s long still-red hair.

“No, sweetie, I didn’t, but your father did. No one in town trusted the lad. He’d got quite a reputation around Innisfree, and only your mother would have anythng to do with him.” Mary Kate Danaher Thornton had lived in the States for nearly thirty years. She was eighty-four and still looked youthful in her way.

“Eileen loved your dad…some felt like a child might love a stray dog, but your mom saw so much in your dad that no one else did. And she was right. He would have made a good doctor…but he loved his animals. He was a great veterinarian…had a way with people as much as animals, most would finally say, sweetie. And he would be proud if he could see you now.”

Shiv put her head in her grandmother’s lap and wept.

“Now there, there child…none of that. You’re my special girl, sweetheart, as ever was…You just have to believe in yourself as much as I do, okay….Now…no more tears. I love you Shiv…I always have and I always will. Okay?”

Shiv awoke in what seemed like only a few minutes later. The doctor was leaning over her, smiling.

“Well, darlin’ it would seem that you dozed off for quite a few…all done, you can get up now.” The doctor said. “I’ll meet you at the desk with a prescription….the chemist is just a store down from the Inn.

Shiv sat up and put her blouse back on, shaking her head at the rip in the elbow and the bloody sleeve. She vaguely remembered the doctor wrapping her ribcage and she noticed the soft cast on her right arm.

“Oh well, it’s fucking ruined anyway,” she thought as she ripped the sleeve more to accommodate the cast. Getting down from the table, she grew lightheaded and needed a moment to steady herself. She walked down the hall to the front desk where the doctor placed the script in her hand.

“Remember, Miss Kelly, back in two days, okay?” Kaate smiled and retreated back to her office. Shiv turned and found Mick standing there.

“I went and got the car so you don’t have to walk. Your cousin called when she found out about the “incident.” She’s moved your visit over to the Inn for dinner tomorrow so you won't have to travel. Let’s get you over there and into bed, aye?” He smiled and offered an arm, which she took reluctantly. Fiercely independent, she favored her grandmother for more than just her red hair.

As they reached the car, a group of young men stood across the street, staring. They were the same group that she had met at the pub, but they seemed to stare with almost questioning expressions. Shiv looked at Mick who half-smiled and said softly,

“I’m sorry, Shiv, but news in a small town like this travels fast, and even faster when it’s gossip.” She looked at him with pleading eyes, hoping against hope that he had something good to say. He didn’t.

“They know…Jamie must have told them…the fookin’ bastard.” Shiv looked at him and started to shake. She looked into his eyes and saw a safe, almost fatherly glow; eyes that said, "I know," giving her a safe moment to speak.

“Oh, God, no Mick…nooo…what am I going to do?” she said and burst into tears.

“I don’t know, but it’s going to be okay, whatever you do! It’ll be okay.” He pulled her in and like a father patted her on the back softly.

“It’ll be okay.”

---

---

"There, there, kiddo, we'll see this thing through, we will,” Mick said as he held the sobbing girl in his arms.

"I feel so stupid...how could I ever have thought this would work?" Shiv said as her sobs subsided.

"Not stupid, Shiv, just ill-advised, timing-wise," he said with a soft laugh. Shiv laughed softly as she wiped her face with her sleeve. She stepped back and saw that the group of lads had gone. She looked up and down the street. Seeing no one, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on...let's get you some tea." Mick said as he held the cab door open for her. She climbed inside and a moment later they were off.

---

---

Mick and Shiv walked into the store; a combination of bakery and tea room.

"Mick Torricelli, good to see you," the tall sandy-haired man behind the counter said. He smiled and looked at Shiv up and down.

"And who might this be, Michaeleen?" He asked as he stepped out from behind the counter.

"Sandy Patterson, meet Siobhan ni Caellach." Mick smiled and nodded once at Sandy. He shook Shiv's hand and ushered them to a table by the window. Smiling, he said,

"I'll be back with some tea for both of you... the blackberry and apple tarts are especially good today!" He walked back behind the counter and through a door and was gone.

"Patterson...Mick...is he?" Shiv eyed the doorway suspiciously.

"As ever was! That, my girl is Jamie Patterson's brother." He smiled and looked away, as if he was hiding something.

"What if Jamie comes in here...I know you said, but he's stupid enough...." Shiv turned around and looked out the front window of the restaurant nervously.

"Not to worry, dear one... Jamie and Sandy haven't spoken for quite some time. You might say they don't get along." Mick laughed softly and smiled once again.

"Okay...what gives...what's going on with them?" Shiv asked as she looked back to the doorway. Sandy had a tray with the tea as well as a plate with some pastry.

"Here you go, dears. Not to worry, this is on the house." Sandy smiled and winked at Mick. Leaning over, he quickly kissed the top of Shiv's head, laughing heartily.

"And here's a blessing for the girl who kicked me brother's arse." Sandy laughed again and Mick joined in. Sandy stooped down on one knee to face Shiv. He smiled and continued.

"You see, dear child, me brother's had a bug up his arse ever since I came out." Sandy looked at Shiv, whose eyes widened in comprehension.

"You mean?" Shiv asked with a puzzled look...which turned to knowing and back to confused.

"That's right...converted to Church of Ireland a few years ago...He still lights a candle for me every Sunday." Sandy looked almost sad until his face broke out with a wide grin. He and Mick began to laugh again, but Shiv didn't get the joke.

"Oh...and I'm gay, too!" Sandy pulled her toward him and kissed her cheek.

"I heard what happened...no, change that...that wasn't an event...my brother chose to hurt you, dear one, and I am so sorry that my family had a part of hurting you." He frowned and continued.

"Make no mistake; Jamie can't stand that you're who you are. But that's minor compared to what's really goin' on. He has had it in his head that he was going to marry your cousin Katie, but that's not going to happen...ever!" His last words sounded almost ominous until he laughed softly, wiping his face with his hand.

"I don't think her boyfriend would approve of that, you know? Jamie might end up with a loaded gun to his fookin’ pea-brained head." He smiled and looked at Mick once again. Shiv's eyes followed Sandy's gaze back at Mick. Her face changed from confusion to comprehension to wonder in a second. Mick looked at her and smiled.

"You...and Kate?" Shiv tilted her head to one side and stared at Mick, who simply folded his hands behind his head and said with a proud smile,

"As ever was, kiddo, as ever was!"

Shiv’s expression changed from confusion to anger to a sad pout in a moment. She looked away and then back and said,

“So when were you going to tell me…after court…or maybe never…what the fuck. Mick” She bit her lip as tears came to her eyes once again. Going from independent and confident (maybe) to vulnerable and betrayed hurt real bad.

“I’m sorry, lass. I was plannin’ on tellin’ you today, but we sorta got side tracked.” Mick held his arms open as if he were pleading for forgiveness.

“Yeah, right.” Shiv looked away, the tears came quickly now and she was more embarrassed than anything. In one day, all of her defenses, including her sense of self, seem to be eroding, and she felt exposed and naked.

“Listen, kiddo, I am sorry. Katie asked me to keep an eye on you. I was only tryin’ to keep things….lighthearted, but that fookin’ moron decided to go at you.” Mick pled with her.

“So you were goin’ to keep an eye on me, huh…” She folded her arms and looked up at the ceiling, almost pleading for intervention.

"Don't you get it? By now everybody and their grandmother knows Mr. and Mrs. Kelly's little Shawn has come home..." Mick knew already but hearing it from her took him aback.

“Make sure I don’t get into any trouble. Make sure everything is okay, huh? Well fuck you Mick Torricelli…You don’t have to worry about me…I’ll be alright. And tell my cousin…well…..” Shiv was trying so hard not to cry.

“Katie loves you, Shiv…you have to believe that. She only wanted to make sure you were okay.” Mick paused and put his hand on Shiv’s arm. She tried to pull away, but Mick held fast.

"Seriously? She tells everybody she's going to sue me but she has my best interests at heart?"

Now that you mention it?" Mick paused, but then continued.

"There's something goin' on with the the property. Someone has been at it with the bank. The suit was just a way of tyin' things up until you three could figure it all out." He grabbed her other hand.

“Let go of me…Mick, let go of me.” It was almost a plea for him to hold on. He grabbed her by both arms and gently turned her to face him.

“Listen, kiddo, you’ve got to let someone inside there. You can’t be fighting battles all the time, especially with people who want to care about you. He smiled at her and continued.

“I don’t know what’s going on inside, but I can tell you for sure that your cousin…your cousins …Katie and Heather, want to be a family for you. They know you don’t have anyone, and now…”

“Don’t say it, Mick…don’t fucking say it.” Shiv pursed her lips and closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath.

“And now that you’re here…they….we want to help.” Mick said. Shiv looked at him and swallowed hard. She put her hand to her face and wiped the tears from her eyes, blinking twice. She shook her head, as if to say, “no one cares.” He took her hands in his, like a father might if he was consoling his daughter after she didn’t get to go to a party.

“It will never be the same, child. “ Mick said. “We can’t turn back the clock and get back what we’ve lost.” Her eyes widened at his words and she shook her head. He read her immediately and continued,

“No, Shiv…not that…You were meant to be who you are right now. Anyone in their right mind can see that. A right proper lady, I'd say... No, I mean your mom…your dad…your grandmother. They’re in a better place right now, and we can’t see that too well ‘cause we’re here…now, with all the crap we’ve got to deal with.

“You don’t understand…nobody understands.” Shiv pled with him, as if to convince him of something…to dissuade his care and concern.

“I know you don’t feel good right now…being beat up and beat down. But we care about you, and the words of a bigot don’t weigh much compared to the weight of family…You’ll find out there’s a lot more on your side than you know.”

“My…my dad…..I’m just like him…a fucking misfit…I don’t belong…I don’t belong there, and I sure as hell don’t belong here. Maybe Jamie was right…” Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes once again.

“Hang in there kiddo…it’s going to be all right…I promise.” Mick smiled and pulled her closer. He kissed her on the forehead; a blessing from a parent in a way. She gave way to the moment, put her arms around him and sobbed.

“Remember…you’re a Thornton, first, last and always…” He laughed softly. Me, a fookin’ dago tellin’ you what’s what about bein’ a Thornton. Well, here’s another somethin’ for you to think about.” He sounded very serious, almost as if he were going to impart wisdom, which he did.

“Fideli Tuta Merces,” he said. She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him; puzzled.

“To the Faithful there is great reward. It’s your family motto.” He smiled.

“What does that mean, Mick? I mean, what does that mean to me? I’m such a fuck up…” Her voice trailed off once again.

“I’m not sure what it means altogether, but in your case, it probably means ‘hang in there, kiddo, things are about to get better.” He smiled and pulled her in for another hug. She gave into the moment and wept again; this time softer and more at peace.

---

---

Oh then Erin grá¡ mo chroá­
you're the only one for me
you're the fairest that my eyes did e'er behold
you're the bright star of the west
the land Saint Patrick blessed
you're the dear little isle so far away

The café at the Inn was small but accommodating. Mick sat next to Katie and Heather, across from Shiv. There were no other diners; most of the guests preferring to eat out at the local pubs and such for an “authentic” experience. Shiv sat quietly, her arms folded in defense.

“Listen, cuz, I’m sorry. We weren’t tryin’ to keep track of you…we just wanted to make sure you were okay. Mick here is family anyway, so it made sense that he keep you company,” Katie said.

The older of Shiv’s cousin’s, Katie was about thirty, which would put Heather at about Shiv’s age. The two were almost like night and day. While Katie appeared to be confident and secure, Heather was quiet and reserved. They were almost polar opposites in appearance. Katie was raven-haired and strikingly gorgeous. There was almost an elegant aura about her.

Heather would likely be described by some as cute, not plain but almost handsome, as some put it. Her red hair put her almost at odds with Katie, but the appearance and demeanor did nothing to offset or detract from their obvious affection as sisters.

“You have to believe me…well, you don’t have to, but I wish you would. I was going to tell you, honest I was. That fookin’ moron sorta ruined my plan.” Mick pled again. Shiv looked at him and shrugged her shoulders and look sideways, as if to say, “Okay, I believe you; big deal!”

“I’m sorry.” Heather said. She looked down at her coffee cup, almost trying to hide in plain sight. Those two words did more to set Shiv at ease than the rest of the dinner’s conversation. She looked at her cousin and noticed there were tears in her eyes.

“That’s okay,” Shiv said. It really wasn’t okay, but it was like any conversation you may have had when you say something like that to be assuring and positive. Heather looked up and her expression changed from sad to encouraged.

“We never meant to hurt you,” she said. “We” was hardly the right word, since Heather had cautioned Katie and Mick about being secretive. She wanted to meet Shiv at the train with her sister and Mick, but was almost shouted down.

“I am so sorry,” she repeated. She put her hand on Shiv’s arm in comfort. Shiv felt awkward. Here she was, sitting with three strangers, in effect. She didn’t know them at all, other than casual conversation, and the meal made her feel so out of place. Heather’s gesture once again put her at ease, but there was also an odd tension; something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“I’m sorry, too, and so is Mick,” Katie said. She smiled and put her hand on Shiv’s other arm. It was almost like being held captive, but for her own good, she thought, which flew in the face of her impulse to get up and run away.

“We should have been honest with you from the start, cuz. I am sorry.” It was clear from the expression on Katie’s face that she actually was sorry. Whatever Shiv had heard about her didn’t seem to fit the person whom she sat next to.

“And we have to be honest with you now, dear.” Heather said. Her voice was comforting, like the best friend you ever had, or a close relative. She patted Shiv’s wrist, making her feel even more awkward and uncomfortable.

“There are a few things we need to talk about; that I need to talk about.” Katie looked at Shiv and her expression was almost disarming, but in a gentle way.

“I always knew, dear. And I think I know why Jamie knew.” Katie said. Shiv’s eyes widened, expecting the worst.

“I told Mick, because we were worried about Jamie, but we didn’t know that he knew. Honest!” She looked over at Mick and continued.

“And of course, Heather knew because we’re sisters, you know…we talk about everything and anything.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Katie regretted the expression. Shiv was an only child; actually one of two, her older brother had died as an infant. Katie expected with good cause that would be a sore subject with Shiv.

“I’m sorry, hon.” Katie said without explanation as Shiv nodded in acceptance.

“When you were about five or so, before you and your parents moved to the States….which would have made me about nine or so.” Katie paused for a moment, looking at Shiv to see if she recalled.

“You were sittin’ on the bench in front of the cottage. I had come over to talk to your mum and I found you cryin’ your eyes out.” She looked once again at Shiv, who was biting her lip.

“I asked you why you were cryin’, and you said some boy down the lane pushed you and knocked you down.” She looked at Heather just for support and went on.

“Just then your mum comes out and sees you. She said ‘Hi Katie, what happened.’” Katie looked at Shiv, whose expression was almost in the moment, sad and almost frightened.

“Well, I said to her, ‘he got knocked down by a boy…probably that Patterson boy.’” Shiv’s eyes widened at the mention of the name.

“We never got to talk about what I wanted to ask her, ‘cause she whisked you into the house.” Katie paused and smiled.

“Only time I ever heard your mother curse,” She laughed softly, causing Shiv to smile. Heather patted her on the arm and smiled, which caused Shiv to tense up.

“I never got to talk to your mum again, ever.” She looked away and tears began to well in her eyes. In a moment, only Mick remained dry eyed.

“What was so important that you needed to talk to my mom?” Shiv asked. Katie wiped her own tears with a tissue and continued.

“Mum and Dad never got along….always fighting. Grandma Tillane told me one time that the streams and rivers are magical places…spiritual places…that people would leave somethin’ important there as a token, like a trusty pocket knife or a ring, maybe almost like a prayer.” Shiv’s attention grew as Katie went on.

“Mum was cleanin’ the stove one day just around the time you folks left for the States. Around that time that Jamie bullied you. She took off her wedding ring and laid it on the window sill to keep it safe…” As Katie spoke, Shiv put her hand in her jeans pocket and grasped the ring, almost like Frodo in Lord of the Rings…”my precious.” She thought.

“I walked over to your farm, and that’s when I saw you on the bench cryin’. After your mom took you inside, I went down the hill, climbed over the wall, and buried the ring in the bank of the stream.

“So you buried it, hoping for?” Mick asked. He’d heard the story recently, but Katie had not told him or Heather why she buried the ring.

“She buried it ‘cause she hoped that she’d gain favor and mum and Dad would stop fightin’ yes?” Heather looked at her sister with a half-smile, her own eyes still filled with tears.

“It worked…just not like I thought it would,” Katie said. “They split up. Right before Christmas!” Katie was almost in the moment. “They never fought again…Daddy would come over every Sunday for dinner, and we ate as if we were still together. Every Sunday until Daddy died.” Katie put her hand to her face. Heather patted Katie on the arm and spoke,

“What she’s tryin’ to say, Shiv, is that the ring is special; not just to us…not just because it was part of our family. It came to you because you were meant to have it; which means it’s special to you, just like the farm is special to all of us. It’s a part of both of our families’ heritages. We’re joined at the hip, as they say, cuz, and we are linked for a reason; a reason that goes beyond either of our families.” Heather touched Shiv’s arm once again, making Shiv feel all the more uncomfortable.

Shiv pulled her arm back and thrust her hand into her other pocket. She looked as uncomfortable as she felt, but would grow even more uncomfortable.

“There’s one more thing we have to tell you…somthin’ we’ve only known for a little while.” Katie said as she pulled an old piece of paper out of her purse.

“Grandpa Will married Grandma Sarah late in life…just like your grandfather married your grandmother, aye?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“He was fifty-seven and she was forty-eight; it was too late for them to have children.” She handed the paper to Shiv who unfolded. Shiv began to read aloud,

“Patrick William McCarthy…Who’s Patrick McCarthy?” Shiv asked. She looked at Heather who looked back at Katie.

“Keep readin’,” Katie said... hereby named Patrick William Dannaher. I don’t get it. What’s Udactas Uctala na h Eireann…what does that mean?” Shiv asked. She knew only the little Gaelige that her grandmother taught her.

“The Adoption Agency of Ireland,” Mick said with a soft laugh, evoking a cold stare from both Katie and Heather.

“What does that mean? Is that Uncle Paddy…is that your dad?” Shiv asked.

“It means, dear cousin,” Heather said with a smile, “We’re not related.” With that she touched Shiv’s arm one final time. In trying to pull her arm away, Shiv jerked sideways. A leg on the chair snapped and she fell over and hit her head, and everything went black.

---

---

Shiv blinked her eyes and saw a ceiling fan rotate lazily. The light was glaring and she raised her hand to shield her eyes, evincing a sharp pain in her elbow followed quickly by "OHH...fuck!"

"Well, I'm glad you're awake, Miss Kelly. You gave us quite a scare. You seem to be making a habit of this." Dr. Kathleen Torricelli said with a wry smile. Shiv tried to prop herself up on her good elbow, which wasn't much better than her other, having bruised it when her head hit the floor.

"Just rest...lie back, Miss Kelly. You've likely sustained a concussion. I'm going to have you go with your cousin over to her place. Shiv looked up to see Katie and Mick.

"You're getting to be quite a handful, literally." Katie said, rubbing her arm. I tried to break your fall and I pulled a muscle." She laughed softly. Mick stood back a little. He leaned forward to comfort her but she pulled away. Shiv noticed the expression on Katie's face seemed to go beyond just the pain in her arm.

"We'd best be gettin' you home, young lady," Katie said. Whatever she had done to gain her reputation in town, it wasn't apparent at all with Shiv…and that word she used? Home? Mick and Katie helped her off the exam table and she immediately felt a pain in the back of her head.

"Oh fuck...owwww." The pain was sharp enough to cause her to reel a bit, but she quickly gained her balance. They helped her to the car and in a few minutes they were on the road to the Danaher farm.

---

---

"Now don't hesitate to call." Heather said softly as she leaned against the door. "I'm right next door, and don't worry about me droppin' in to check like the doctor said...I'll be up for a while...I'm reading a new Jack Higgins novel, and I can't put it down." She smiled and waved and was gone. Shiv laid her head back down on the pillow and looked at the ceiling.

Between the lingering pain and the events of the day, Shiv gave into the moment. She turned her on her good side and began to weep; certainly not enough to be heard. Nevertheless, she felt the bed sag as Heather sat down next to her. She patted her on the back and said softly,

"Shiv, honey...it's okay." I'll just sit here in the armchair and keep you company for a while, yes?" She kissed her on the forehead. Walking over to the doorway, Heather turned the dimmer down to low. She sat down, pulled a book light out of her sweater pocket, sat down and began to read, singing to herself softly.

---

---

Downstairs, another scene was playing out.

"We can't go on like this, Mick." Katie said, her back to him as she looked out the window into the night. He put his hand on her shoulder. She moved it slightly to pull away, but he turned her around gently and said.

"I agree." He smiled, which was disconcerting given their relationship. Katie had hoped he'd disagree.

"Listen, darlin'," he said softly. He avoided kissing her because he needed to say what was on his heart.

"I've grown tired of this...you've grown tired of this. We're stuck in a rut, and there's nothin' to do but get out of it."

"I know, but i don't know how." Katie said. Tears began to fall as she looked away once again.

"You know what this is about, Kate." Mick said, walking around in front of her. He went to hold her hands, but she pulled them away. Persistent, he pulled her into him and kissed her, softly, but with a tentativeness.

"You're bein' ruled by fear instead of faith, darlin'" He said, kissing her forehead.

"We've been together for almost six years now and you still are afraid, and you know why."

Katie winced at the word and shook her head, not denying what Mick said, but in almost resignation, as if to say, no...Please tell me something else; something less painful.

"You're afraid that you're just like your parents...that if you get married, we'll be just like they were....shaky love built on fear and worry and doubt. Well, darlin', I'm not your father, and you're not your mother." He frowned, not at her so much as at the ghosts of the past.

"But you don't know...you can't begin to understand...." She tried to pull away, but his grip, soft as it was, held her firm; more due to her wanting him to keep her from leaving; her testing of his love.

"I can't, now can I?" Mick grew a little stern. "Me dad was the only fookin' dago in town when I was born...You think your dad was only one who had a hard time? And before you say it, I know your mom had a hard time as well, bein' Greek and all. What a fookin' mess." He wasn't being critical of her parents; only the scrutiny they and the girls had to endure.

"And your dad bein' adopted on top of it...'bastard' they called him. I can't believe that one of the smallest places on earth could hold so many fookin' morons." He looked at Katie, who was almost motionless. Her fists were balled up in anger over the rejection the family had to endure.

"And you're afraid that if we get married, we'll split up and that will be that. Well, Katie Danaher, I'm not goin' anywhere. If anyone's moved in this relationship, it's you. You're the one who won't commit...you're the one who's afraid." He was angry at her, but quickly his mood turned sad.

"I love you Mick. I really love you. But there has to be more than that." Katie said, wiping away her tears with her sweater sleeve.

"There are no guarantees, darlin'....none at all, except I promise I will never leave you." Mick said one last time before drawing her closer for a kiss.

"I'm here...so to speak. I'm gonna go home and think. But I can't do all the work here. You have to have faith in me...in us" He kissed her again.

"Oh Mick....oh God...I love you so...I am so sorry....Please don't go....I love you." She said as she kissed him over and over. In a moment captured in time, a magical change took place.

Mick resisted the urge to say "It's about fookin' time," recognizing he was just as fearful as her, but had acted on faith to see things change. He said instead,

"I love you, Katie Helen Danaher...from the first time I met you....I love you and I want you." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small jewelry box. The dark blue velour had given way to gray tatters and steel, worn out by constant fingering and removing and replacing over the years. Owing to an old rugby injury, he stood rather than get down on one knee. He opened the box and Katie's eyes widened in recognition. In the box was the near twin of the ring she had buried years ago that Shiv now held.

"Mick...the ring...it's..." She started to say.

"There are three of these, the only ones in the world. Mary Kate Danaher Thornton got one when Sean married her; she gave it to her daughter Maureen, Shiv's mother. It came back to her when Maureen died, and it was buried with her.
The second was given by your Grandfather Will, who gave it to his bride, your grandmother. She gave it to your mum Helen, and that's the one you buried." He paused and thought for a moment.

"And this one. My Granddad Michaeleen gave it to me mum when she and dad got married. One buried in the states, one buried in the stream, and one buried...hidden in my heart, so to speak, waitin' to be unearthed at the right time."

"It's beautiful, Mick, but it looks different." Katie almost ignored the reason for the moment, intrigued.

"Three rings, three different metals. Thornton...Silver...Argent. Danaher...Gold... and O'Flynn... Platinum...all comin' together so to speak.

"I love it, Mick...oh God, I love you so much." She threw her arms around him and kissed him again.

"So i guess there's only one thing left to say, yes?" Mick smiled at her and said the words that Katie had always feared but now welcomed.

"Katie, will you marry me?" he said softly with a wry smile.

"Yes....oh yes!" Katie said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"Yes!"

---

---

The next morning, Katie and Heather had family business to attend to. Owing to all of the previous day’s drama, the court hearing regarding the property had been postponed until the following Friday. Mick gave Shiv a ride to White O’Mornin’ to have a look around, or as Shiv had said, “time to get my head sorted out.”

The car pulled up once again to the cottage and they both got out. Mick handed Shiv the key.

“It really seems odd; there was a time when not only weren’t the doors locked around here, most places didn’t even have locks. Things have changed…times have changed,” he said with a frown.

“If you need me, I’ll be at my sentinel’s post, assuming my guard duties, kiddo, okay?”

Mick seemed very much at ease following the previous evening’s wonder. He promptly returned to the car, where he sat behind the wheel, tilted his cap over his eyes and gave due attention to his morning nap. Shiv laughed softly at the sight. She turned and pushed the key into the lock and turned the door.

The house was surprisingly free of any musty smell, which Shiv quickly discovered was from the open windows at the back and side of the house. A fresh fragrance of heather, ironically, wafted through the cottage, giving the place a feeling of welcome and home.

She looked around the room and noticed that all the white sheets which normally would be covering the furniture had been removed and placed in a neat pile on the kitchen table. Not so much a kitchen as a common room with chairs and a divan. The Melodeon that her grandmother spoke so much about had been pushed into a corner, but it was freshly polished, smelling of lemon oil. She looked at it and thought back to her last conversation with her grandmother...

---

---

“Now you mind that you keep up your lessons, child.” Nana Mary Kate said. She looked at the spinet in the living room of her apartment.

“I so hated to leave my Melodeon there, but we didn’t have the money to have it shipped, and after I did, it seemed better to leave it with the cottage, like a blessing for you when you move back.” Her grandmother said as she combed out Shiv’s hair.

“Nana…I’m not even sure if I’ll ever go back.” Shiv said.

“I mean…It’s hard enough being accepted here…what would happen with people I don’t know?” Shiv looked at the piano, remembering the lessons she had learned at the keyboard, and not just scales or runs.

“Nonsense, baby girl. You’ll be with family. And I’ll be with you too…in spirit.” Mary Kate Danaher Thornton knew that her time was growing short. Already she had felt the pull…the welcome invitation to come “home.”

“Nana…Show me your ring again.” Shiv said. She looked at her own left hand and tears came to her eyes. She had given up hope of ever wearing such a ring…any ring on her left hand; few boys…few men would be willing to accept her for what she was, much less who she was.

Her grandmother stopped combing her hair and walked around in front of Shiv and sat down at the kitchen table beside her granddaughter. She wore the ring she had given her daughter; the ring that returned to her upon her daughter's untimely death along with her son-in-law in an auto accident when Shiv was thirteen.

“This was given to me by your grandfather. You remember what the signs on the ring mean, darlin’?” She said as she held out her hand. No matter how old or how far traveled, no matter what happens in life, it always seems that a woman is proud to display the ring her sweetheart gave her.

“I’m sorry, Nana…I forget, please tell me again,” Shiv fibbed. It always sounded wonderful to hear her grandmother tell the story…somehow it seemed to give her hope…hope that maybe someday someone would love her for who she was, regardless of what she’d been born into and what she was.

“Well, in the old country, this is known as a Claddagh ring. It has meaning that goes back hundreds of years…Some say Margaret Joyce…a widow who remarried and used her inheritance to pay to have bridges built in Connacht…An eagle is said to have dropped it in her hand as a reward.”

“Because she was so generous, Nana?” Shiv knew the story, but the telling by her grandmother was soothing, like a lullaby.

“Yes, mi chroi, because she was so generous. Others say a Mister Joyce was captive in Algiers. After he was freed, he was offered the hand of a goldsmith’s daughter, but wished to return to his beloved Eire, and the goldsmith gave him the ring.”

“Because he was so loyal, Nana,” Shiv asked again.

“Yes, because he was so loyal.” Shiv would discover years later the significance in her own life of the meaning of those two words; loyalty and generosity.

“Well the symbols…That’s a tellin’ I always enjoy because it reminds me of what me and your granddad Sean had…you’re named after him you know?” Mary Kate almost regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. Shiv started to tear up.

“There, there, dear one. It will be alright…I promise.” She looked at her with a gaze that seemed to almost guarantee her words.

“Now…the ring…the hands holding the heart with the crown…do you remember what that means, sweetheart?” Her grandmother asked. She shook her head no, preferring to hear it told with such love and devotion.

“The fáinne Chladaigh….the Claddagh ring…’With this crown, I give my loyalty, With these hands, I offer my service, With this heart, I give you mine.’" She smiled and continued.

“Now if you’re interested in someone, you wear it on your right hand with the heart pointed away, and of course you wear it on your left if you’re married.” Shiv once again teared up.”

“I don’t belong, Nana…I never will. I hate myself.” Shiv continued to cry.

“No, don’t say such a thing. You’re beautiful. And you do fit in…just where we haven’t figured out.” She kissed Shiv on the cheek.

“Siobhan…like Sean…a gift of God. You were a gift to your mum and dad and you’re my precious gift too, never forget that.”

Mary Kate Dannaher Thornton died that evening in her sleep. She had the most peaceful look anyone could ever have.

---

---

Shiv walked over and sat down at the Melodeon and flexed her hands. Her elbow hurt only a little, so she decided to try playing. She looked at the worn sheet music on the stand and discovered it was the song her grandmother had taught her…the very same song her grandmother sang with Mick’s grandfather so long ago.

The young May moon is beaming, love,
The glow-worm’s lamp is gleaming, love;
How sweet to rove
Through Morna’s grove,
While the drowsy world is dreaming, love!

She was about to start the next refrain when a soft voice sang from behind her, leaving her to jump up from the bench in a start.

Then awake! -- the heavens look bright, my dear,
T'is never too late for delight, my dear;
And the best of all ways
To lengthen our days
Is to steal a few hours from the night, my dear!

Heather stood leaning against the open front doorway, her arms moving softly with the melody. Her red hair was covered by a scarf and she wore a green cardigan over a white scoop-neck blouse and jeans. She smiled and moved closer to Shiv who jumped up.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to be presumptuous, but I saw it here.

“Go on, cuz…you’ve a lovely voice. Perhaps we could harmonize?” Shiv sat down at the Melodeon once again, this time nervously. She began to play and Heather began singing the melody as Shiv picked up the harmony by ear.

Now all the world is sleeping, love,
But the Sage, his star-watch keeping, love,
And I, whose star
More glorious far
Is the eye from that casement peeping, love.
Then awake! -- till rise of sun, my dear,
The Sage's glass we'll shun, my dear,
Or in watching the flight
Of bodies of light
He might happen to take thee for one, my dear

As she finished the song Heather put her hand on Shiv’s shoulder. She jumped up once again with a start, this time bumping into Heather. Shiv went to step away but their feet got tangled and she fell into Heather’s arms. Face to face, she practically inhaled Heather’s fragrance…a little bit of the smell of fresh soil as well as an overwhelming smell of roses; likely the roses that trailed the stone wall down the hill.

Heather smiled at her warmly and without a word kissed Shiv full on the lips. Shiv shook nervously and gave into the kiss, but a moment later found herself standing up quickly.

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry,” she said as she beat a hasty retreat out the door. She got into the cab and woke Mick up with,

“I need to get back to the inn…now!”

“Alright, alright….just a moment.” Mick said with a laugh.

“Now, Mick!” She said and he started the engine. They were quickly down the hill, but not before Heather stood at the top of the drive watching their hasty departure. She smiled once again and walked back into the cottage. Sitting down at the melodeon, she began playing. Her voice was sweet and warm, and she smiled to herself as she chuckled softly and began singing...

The Sage's glass we'll shun, my dear,
Or in watching the flight
Of bodies of light
He might happen to take thee for one, my dear

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Back at the inn, Shiv lay in her bed, her face buried in a pillow as she sobbed. A knock came at the door. She wiped her face with her sleeve, forgetting about her arm as she bumped her nose with her cast.

“Who is it?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t betray her mood.

“It’s Katie, Shiv…can I come in?”

“Sure, just give me a sec.” She ran to the dresser and looked in the mirror. She wiped her face once again, this time with her good arm and walked to the door. She opened it and found Katie standing in front of her with a wide grin on her face, as if she had a secret.

“Well, you certainly look happy,” Shiv noted as Katie walked into the room. Katie no sooner got in when she pulled Shiv in for a hug; a little too painful for her broken ribs.

“Mick and I…we finally did it.” She began to almost dance with Shiv, further jarring Shiv’s head, ribs and arm.

“What…what did you do?” Shiv asked as the dancing died down.

“We’re engaged…after six years, I finally figured out that I’m not my father or mother.” Shiv didn’t quite know what Katie was talking about, but she figured she’d find out soon enough.

“Well, six years is too long. We’re not going to wait one second more. We’ve got the license and Father McDermott has blessed us… ‘Better late than never,’ he said.” She laughed and continued.

“Anyway, we want you as a bridesmaid…nothing fancy…Heather’s my maid of honor and Mick has his brother standing up for him and his cousin Ahmed. We’re having a party over at Cohan’s at eight. Okay?” She smiled broadly and for the first time Shiv appreciated what a lovely woman…what a lovely person her cousin was.

“Of course. I’ll walk over there. Have to get fixed up, yes?” Shiv smiled. Katie hugged her again.

“Got to be off…lots of things to plan for…I phoned the judge…The legal thing was
dismissed and we’ll not contest the deed, Shiv…The farm is yours. “ She hugged Shiv once more and was off.

Shiv closed the door and walked down and sat on the bed. She opened her purse and pulled out the ring and looked at it. She remembered her grandmother’s words.

“With this crown, I give my loyalty, With these hands, I offer my service, With this heart, I give you mine.” She threw herself back on the bed and wept bitter tears.

---

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It was seven eighteen. Shiv gazed anxiously at her reflection in the dresser mirror.

“I look like hell,” she said to herself as she noted how red and puffy her face had been from crying.

“What the fuck, I’ll just tell them they were tears of happiness.” She checked her outfit… Cream colored slacks with a Kelly green silk blouse.

“Not bad…oh who the fuck am I trying to kid.” She sucked it up and kept herself from crying. Everyone would be crying and laughing at the party, she figured.

She walked down the street heading for the block that led to Cohan’s pub. As she rounded the corner, Heather pulled up and parked her car across the street. She noticed someone walking several yards behind Shiv. The two disappeared around the corner...

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“So, you little shite, nobody to take care of you. You fookin’ queer.” Jamie Patterson walked up to Shiv and shoved her rudely into the wall of the store front.

“And don’t go tryin’ anything fancy,” Jamie said as he pulled out a gun. Turning Shiv around he punched her in her ribs, sending her back against the wall.

“Lucky for me that everybody is at that fookin’ party over at Cohan’s…you and me are gonna take a walk back to my car, yes?” He said as he pushed the gun hard into Shiv’s ribcage. He took a step back to admire his work when he heard a soft, almost melodic voice call from behind.

“O Jamie darlin’” the voice practically crooned.

“What,” he said as he turned around.

“Just this,” the voice said again softly, “you fookin’ bastard.”

Jamie heard a crack, followed by a pain that caused him to fall to his knees as Heather broke his arm with one swing of her Hurly bat. He had barely time to register the pain in his arm when his head flew back from the kick in the chest that came from Shiv’s foot. He fell back and hit his head on the curb, knocking him out. Heather smiled at Shiv even as she dialed emergency on her cell phone. She covered the phone for a moment and turned to Shiv.

“National Camogie Champs, Galway, 2011, yes?” She smiled and blew a kiss to Shiv, who just leaned against the wall of the storefront, smiling back sheephishly.

Minutes later Jamie Patterson sat in the back of a Garda patrol car as it pulled away. Shiv and Heather walked the block or so and opened the door to the doctor’s office. Dr. Kathleen smiled in welcome.

“Why hello, Miss Kelly…I see you’re here for your daily visit. Come right back and we’ll just look at the results of today’s mayhem, aye?”

---

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The nuptials of Michaeleen David Torricelli and Katherine Helen Danaher were the item of the spring season. The Rev. Andrew McDermott presided officially over the ceremony, with family and friends in attendance, including Mick's twelve cousins and other assorted relatives. The ceremony was held in the field behind the church on a sunny day in May.

The bride was resplendent in a simple white full length dress and a garland of baby’s breath in her hair. Her cousin Shiv wore an attractive mint green off the shoulder gown; the first time she had worn anything formal, which was for her surprisingly comfortable. And Heather wore a matching gown of Kelly green, ironically, but it was her jewelry that caught everyone’s attention. As she sat down to her harp to join in the music for the bride and groom, one could not help but notice that on her left hand was a Gold Claddagh ring…newly inscribed.

And the sound of Cathy Jordan and Dervish filled the air...

Echo of blue water I’ll never leave your side
Your ocean sky my blanket your starlight as my guide
Drift along this weightless whale so festooned in the sea
And my bride and I, my ship, my sail, my dream dreaming of thee

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(Camogie is the women's version of what we sometimes call Hurling, where a ball is balanced on a stick with a wide end; it's played similar to field hockey but with much more contact, mayhem and all around disregard for personal safety. It's like Lacrosse only without protection, although I was reminded that helmets are now compulsory.)

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Story based on characters created for
the motion picture, The Quiet Man
Screenplay by Fred S. Nugent
from a short story by Maurice Walsh

The Isle of Innis Free
Words and Music by Dick Farrelly
as performed by Celtic Woman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkgetO1jpgg

The Cat She Went a Huntin'
Words and Music by Sonny Condell
as performed by Dervish, featuring Cathy Jordan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOqiqBWAqcs

Erin Gra Mo Chroi
(Ireland Of My Heart)
Listed as Traditional
As performed by Dervish, featuring Cathy Jordan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSHIJvM0zXc...

The Young May Moon
Words and Music by Thomas Moore
As performed by Lord Frog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMhjRT740Ek

My Bride and I
(Traditional)
As performed by Dervish, featuring Cathy Jordan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg1OgybdzvQ