The day was turning out wonderfully. This was the final fitting of her wedding dress! Sunny stepped into the puddle of satin, and the seamstress slowly eased the seed pearl-encrusted bodice over Sunny's body. The zipper along the side of the dress gently closed around Sunny. It fit like a glove. "It's perfect," she breathed, like a pronouncement from a heavenly host.
"All your hard work has paid off!" Her mother had announced with a smile that quivered slightly as she gazed at her daughter's image in the 3-way mirrors.
"And I can still breathe!" Sunny sighed, receiving chuckles from the seamstress and her mother.
"Sunny, will Jason be joining us for lunch?" Maire O'Neil asked.
Sunny stepped away from the dress and sat on the bench across from her mother. She shook her head and unbuckled the strap of the shoes she would be wearing with her wedding gown. Over the past few weeks, Jason had been distracted, hadn't returned her calls, and had been short-tempered with her. She chalked it up to pre-wedding jitters. Instead of worrying her mother, she carefully packed her shoes into the box and sighed in disappointment. "No, he said he had some sort of meeting with a client."
Maire O'Neil nodded. "Well then, your old mum will have to do."
Sunny looked up, her smile happy and carefree. "My mum will do just fine!"
#
After the fitting, mother and daughter headed to Ricco's for lunch. They walked into the bistro, and the waitress welcomed them warmly. "Welcome to Ricco's. Would you like to have lunch out on the deck?"
"Sure!" Sunny replied, looking at her mother, "Is that okay with you?"
"It's such a beautiful day," Maire replied. "Outside is fine with me."
The waitress grabbed two menus and two tightly rolled royal blue napkins with eating utensils. "This way, please," she said. She walked down the restaurant's center aisle. The bistro was filling up with the downtown lunch crowd, most of whom sat up front near the large glass windows facing the street. Couples tucked into leather booths, while others dined on the deck overlooking a duck pond.
As Sunny followed the waitress, she glanced right, then left, letting her eyes adjust to the dimly lit restaurant. She spotted the dessert cart loaded with tempting cakes and other sweets. Sunny's gaze scanned the shiny frosting of a cake and then landed on a scene that made her stumble to a stop. There was Maya, curled provocatively and purring in the ear of a man. Maire moved around her daughter to avoid a collision and looked where Sunny was staring. "Oh!"
There was no mistaking the scene. At that moment, the sun seemed to shine through the windows and cast a spotlight on the couple. There was Maya, her best friend, with Jason, and the way they looked at each other and touched each other made Sunny's heart shatter into a million terrible pieces!
Maire's eyes left the scene to focus on her daughter's face. She felt a fiery, twisting pain in her chest! She clutched her handbag to her chest and reached out to Sunny with her free hand.
The longing look in Maya's eyes as Jason took her well-manicured hand in his and kissed the chocolate from her fingers sparked Sunny's reaction. Maire grabbed her daughter's wrist. Sunny paused and looked at her mother with intense eyes. Maire felt a deep tightening inside her with sudden fear. She pulled her hand back from Sunny's wrist as if she had been burned and stepped away - the young woman was a stranger!
Sunny approached the couple, and both of them looked up at her first with annoyance at being interrupted, then with surprise when they realized who was at their table. The scene froze for a few heartbeats. "Sunny, this isn't what you think." Jason started. Maya jerked her hand away from Jason's grip. "Oh, of course it is, Jason." She looked up at Sunny with a glint of triumph in her eyes. "We were just trying to find a way to tell you."
Sunny said nothing. But everything around her began to catch fire, burning before her eyes. She vaguely heard Jason trying to explain something to her mother and to her, but his words faded as she turned her blazing emerald eyes on him. She looked down and noticed that Jason hadn't ordered dessert; it seemed they were going to share a piece of cake. She frowned and looked around. The dessert cart was standing nearby, and the young man serving other diners looked at her with a frightened expression.
"You two don't have to share." Sunny stepped forward, took the entire cake from the dessert cart, and with one carefully aimed flip of her hands, lobbed the whole chocolate cake into Jason and Maya's laps. "Dessert is on me!" It splattered over both of them, and Maya squealed in outrage, looking down in horror at her expensive silk sweater covered in chocolate.
Sunny gave them both a tight-lipped smile. "Oh, my bad; it's on you. And it wouldn't be complete without a diamond ring to top it all off!" She pulled the engagement ring off her left hand and tossed it into the chocolate mess, then turned on her heel and stormed out of the bistro, her mother rushing after her, and shocked whispers following in her wake.
Sunny reached the door of her mother's sedan, then slumped against the car, feeling the fire of rage fade and sadness erupt from deep within her gut. Maire approached her daughter, and a terrible, overwhelming anguish seized her! She stumbled to the car beside her, tore open her purse, and struggled to find her car keys.
Sunny's first wrenching cry ripped from deep inside her. Amid her grief, she became aware of her mother settling her into the back of the sedan. Sunny lay across the back seat, buried her face into the lap blanket, twisted her fingers tightly into the softness, and began to scream!
Maire got into the car and drove away. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Jason standing on the sidewalk where their car had just been parked. He looked pale, then Maya slithered up beside him, her fingers curling possessively around his arm. Anger flooded her, and she became very alert! She slowed to a normal pace and pressed the button on the steering wheel. "Call Dr. Larry Turner," she announced. The synced smartphone chimed softly. "Calling Doctor Larry Turner; mobile." It rang three times. "Maire! How are you?"
Sunny's sobbing screams were muffled in the car blanket in the back seat, but they could still be heard, so Maire spoke louder. "Larry, I'm sorry to call you on your day off--- but could you meet Sunny and me at the house?"
"Right away, Maire."
Larry Turner was already waiting in the driveway when Maire pulled up and parked the car. He climbed into the back seat, looked at Sunny, and pulled his stethoscope from his bag. "What happened?"
Maire explained quickly as Dr. Turner listened to Sunny's heart and pressed his fingers to her wrist. Dr. Turner set his mouth grimly as he pulled out a vial and syringe from his bag. "This is a sedative," he told Maire, and to Sunny, he said gently, "It'll make you sleep."
Sunny felt the cold sting of the alcohol pad on her arm and then the needle prick. She didn't speak. She didn't need to. The silence was louder than any scream. By the time he helped her out of the back seat, the sedative was already taking effect. Her mother and the doctor helped her upstairs and into bed. Sunny sank into a numb, dreamless sleep. Maire settled the coverlet over her sleeping daughter. Had she imagined it? How could she have thought Sunny had awakened? That was impossible!
February 10th: 2:45am
"Yes, I'm thinking now it would be best," Maire said into the receiver of the phone. She paced in front of the bedroom windows, and with each pass, she stopped and looked out into the indigo night.
Maire, what made you change your mind?"
"I haven't changed my mind about anything," Maire said, her voice tight with unshed tears. "I just am so worried about Sunny. I think maybe coming to stay with you will help her. Make her forget? You can still do that, can't you?"
"Sunny is, of course, welcome to come and stay as long as she wishes," Fiona said softly. "I just can't believe the boy could have done such a terrible thing."
"I know," Maire whispered. She paused in front of the window again and looked out. The sky was beginning to lighten, the sunrise tinting it a soft pink. "Oh, Aunt Skye, I swear I felt her heart shatter!"
"Shush now," Fiona's soft, soothing, and calming voice reached across the thousands of miles, and Maire felt a sense of peace envelop her like a warm blanket. "It is over now. Send her to me!"
"And something else," Maire said, her words catching in her throat as she remembered that look in Sunny's eyes.
"What, dear?" Fiona whispered. "What else?"
"I may have imagined it," Maire whispered into the phone. "But there was something in Sunny's eyes that I've never seen before. For a moment, I didn't recognize my own child! You don't think that--" Maire let her words fade into the air.
There was silence on the other end of the phone line. "I'm sure it was just her terrible disappointment," Fiona responded.
Maire nodded, looked at her reflection in the mirror, and pressed her lips together firmly. "Yes. That must have been it."
Fiona heard the doubt in Maire's voice. She didn't believe what she was saying any more than Fiona did. "Maire, there is a possibility that Sunny will feel a stirring –"
"She won't be there long enough!" Maire declared. "Mother didn't feel anything, I certainly never felt anything, so there's no reason Sunny will either! Aunt Skye, remember your promise."
"Aye," Fiona's voice was sharp as it reached Maire's ear, "I remember!"
"How bad is it?" Cassie asked as Fiona stepped out of the phone booth at Cluny's Tavern.
"Bad enough for Maire to send Sunny to me," Fiona replied. "Bad enough that she asked me to make Sunny forget this ever happened to her."
"If the girl is here long enough," Cassie started, then waved away what she was going to say. "Never mind, Fiona, too much time has passed."
Fiona nodded quietly. She left the tavern as the jingle of door chimes faded behind her. She climbed into the wagon, grabbed the reins, and said, "On we go, Miggs!" The cob mare snorted and clip-clopped down the road. When Fiona reached the stone bridge crossing the Trickle River, she looked at the intricate tattoo that encircled her left wrist. "Aye, I made a promise," she whispered to herself, "And I keep my promises; I pray I don't have to break it!"
February 10th - 3:30 pm
When Sunny woke up, it was already late afternoon. She rolled onto her side and looked around her old room. It was mostly the same, except her mother had moved the treadmill into the space. It stood folded in the corner. Sunny had walked, trotted, run, and wheezed many miles on it! She stared at it blankly—she looked at it without really seeing it or anything else in the room. Then she gazed past the treadmill to the window seat. The afternoon sun shone in, and the dust motes danced and sparkled, spilling onto the dark blue Persian carpet. Sunny sat up, swung her feet around, and rested them on the floor. She scrunched her toes into the pile of carpet, studying the intricate designs and colors. She wanted to sink into the rich sapphire blue and lose herself.
She sighed and got to her feet. She shuffled to the dresser, gazing at her reflection in the mirror, and rubbed her hands over her face. She looked as exhausted as she felt—hollow-eyed, her mouth tight—like someone left behind in her own life.
She checked her dresser drawers and found everything she needed. Sunny took a shower, got dressed, and sat again on the edge of her bed to stare at the floor. Whatever the doctor had given her made her numb. The house was very quiet, as if someone had died. She sighed. There had been a death, and she felt angry.
She looked around the room again and realized she couldn't keep waiting for a change that wasn't coming. She stood up, walked to the door, and as she reached for the doorknob, she glanced back over her shoulder to look out the window. Perched on a branch of the oak tree near the house was a raven. It seemed to be waiting. Without knowing why, she moved to the window seat and looked outside. "Other friends have flown before—on the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before," she whispered to the bird. It picked its way down the tree limb, coming close to the window. It tilted its head as if considering. Sunny leaned closer. She had never seen a Raven this close before. It was beautiful; its feathers shimmered, catching the light like a fire opal! It angled a narrowed black, beady eye at her. Sunny suddenly smiled, waiting for it to respond. When it didn't, she smiled sadly and finished the quote. "Then the bird said 'Nevermore.'"
She turned away, left her bedroom, and went downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother sat in the breakfast room, talking on the phone. When she saw Sunny, she quietly told the person she had to go.
"Would you like something to eat, Sunny?"
Sunny nodded. "Yes, I think I would."
"What would you like, dear?"
'The usual, I guess," Sunny murmured and went to the refrigerator. She looked inside and pulled out a carton of orange juice. She grabbed a glass and poured a full glass. Her mother started to toast two slices of wheat bread and watched warily as her daughter sat at the breakfast bar.
Sunny sipped her juice quietly, then she glanced to her right at the small pile of paint cards. "Are you thinking of painting the kitchen, Mom?"
Maire smiled; it was nice to have a normal topic to discuss! "Yes, I was telling your father just a few nights ago that I was getting tired of the pale yellow and considering switching to a bolder color."
Sunny examined the paint cards and picked out a lime green and a bright, clear turquoise blue. "How about these?"
Maire glanced over her shoulder at the paint cards. Sunny slid closer to her mother. "I do like the lime green," she said, pulling the toast from the toaster and setting it on a plate. "Maybe I could find some fabric to recover the banquette cushions?"
You could use those pictures you and Daddy took while you were in St. Thomas," Sunny said, "those of the fishing boats, painted in all different bright colors; that was a great photograph."
Maire sighed as she remembered the vacation. That was before Jason, before this terrible shock. The "Before Jason" had been a wonderful time. "Oh, that was a wonderful trip!"
Sunny buttered her toast and began to eat. Maire kept talking about past vacations, painting the kitchen, the materials needed to repair the cushions, and what to choose for curtains.
Then Sunny set down the last piece of toast and looked into her mother's eyes. "Mama, why didn't they just tell me?"
Maire opened her mouth, but no words came out. What could she say that wouldn't make things worse? Sunny started crying again. Her sobs shook her violently, and Maire hurried to her daughter, pulled her into her arms, and gently rocked her. This time, Maire didn't feel Sunny's fiery anger, only disappointment and sadness. Maire held her close, wishing she could give her answers—but all she had were unspoken fears.
Outside, the raven stood guard. Others of its tribe visited, and they briefly exchanged information. The girl was going home!
Sunny picked at her dinner, then decided to go to bed early. She took a shower and put on pajamas that were still in her dresser drawer, along with other clothes she had left behind.
She sat up in bed with her sketchbook on her lap and several pencils nearby. An hour had gone by, but she hadn't made a single mark on the paper. It was still blank. How could she have been so naive?
Sunny put away her sketching pencils and looked at the clock by her bed. It was late, and she was hungry. She no longer felt the need to deny herself; she could eat anything she wanted, and no one would take it away or shame her. Sunny didn't pay much attention to what she ate, but everyone else did! It had been that way since her freshman year of high school. Sunny wasn't very athletic, but she enjoyed swimming and soccer. She was a healthy young woman with curves like her mother's. During her sophomore year, she twisted her knee in a soccer game and was sidelined for the entire season. That basically ended her soccer career. Her best friend, Maya, coached, cajoled, and coerced her relentlessly as she started to gain extra weight; that marked the beginning of her strict and constant dieting. Sunny recovered from her knee injury, and ever since, she has been on a never-ending diet.
Together, they started college. Sunny studied the arts, while Maya, like her father, was heading toward a career in law. They were as different as night and day. Sunny was a curvy Irish girl with deep russet hair, emerald-green eyes, and creamy white skin. Maya was tall and slender, with golden blonde hair, icy-blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin from tanning salons. Maya was keen and sharp-witted. While Sunny always gave people the benefit of the doubt, Maya was suspicious of everyone! Maya also knew the calorie count of everything edible on earth! She tracked everything she ate and was just as careful about what went into Sunny's mouth—especially when Jason showed up on the scene!
Sophomore Year College – Three years earlier
Maya lounged at the foot of Sunny's bed, inspecting her perfectly manicured nails. "Sunny, it's just for one lousy evening!"
"I've got so much homework to catch up on, Maya!" Sunny replied. "I just can't stay very long."
"If you just sit up here in your dorm room and draw, you'll never find a man!"
That ended the debate. Sunny always gave in to Maya. Now, they sat in a trendy restaurant just off campus.
Maya smiled up at the waiter, "Gin and tonic for me, and a Diet Coke for my girl here."
"Coming up!" the waiter replied, smiling at Maya and nodding toward Sunny.
Sunny muttered, "I'm not interested in finding a man," as the waiter walked away.
"Well, neither am I, girl!" Maya flicked her carefully styled blonde hair back with a golden-tanned hand. "But you bet your boots that I'm going to find some well-endowed distraction!"
"So, who is this guy anyway?" Sunny asked.
"His name is Jason," Maya replied, moving the basket of roasted peanuts Sunny reached for to the table across from where they sat. "Too much salt, you'll retain water!"
Sunny first scowled at the out-of-reach basket of peanuts, then looked out the window. She wanted the peanuts. She wanted to say, "I wish you'd leave me alone! All I want are a few lousy peanuts!" But she didn't.
"Hello, ladies!"
Sunny saw him in the reflection of the window and looked into the clear, twinkling blue eyes of Jason Thompson. He was a GQ picture of perfection! He was tall and lean with a dazzling smile and mischievous blue eyes that sparkled with merriment. She didn't know it then, but that smile would one day undo her.
With him was a tall, dark, athletic man who seemed to drink in Maya as he slid into the booth next to her. She draped herself like a blonde snake against him, and he was caught!
Maya always kept Sunny with her, claiming that Sunny was 'safe' and friendly without being intimidating. Wherever Maya went, Sunny was right there beside her. Within an hour of arriving, a group of young men would gather around their table. Maya's good looks attracted them, but oddly, they stayed to talk with Sunny.
Sunny and Jason had become a 'couple,' while Maya, of course, kept dating, always with an outrageously handsome man. Maya never had trouble finding male companionship; she was exquisite! Men couldn't deny her. The only man who hadn't fallen under her spell was Jason, or so Sunny thought.
Instead of falling into a depression, Sunny took one of the pills Dr. Turner had prescribed and drifted into a dreamless sleep. She didn't dream. But if she had, it would have been of a girl who shared a handful of peanuts with a majestic raven king!
February 10: 10:27 pm
"I think it would be best to send her as soon as possible," Thomas O'Neil murmured to his wife as they lay in bed.
Maire shifted toward him and asked, "So you think sending her to Fiona is the right thing to do?"
Thomas sighed heavily, looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then turned to Maire. "Yes, I do."
Maire nodded, then frowned. "I hope it helps; I've never seen Sunny like this – it's as if her whole world has shattered into a million pieces."
"It has," Thomas whispered. "You know, that little bastard had the nerve to call me today at work and try to explain what happened!"
"What did you say?" Maire asked.
"I said what any father would say," Thomas replied. "I told him to bugger off!"
"Oh, Thomas!" Maire gasped, then softly giggled as she cuddled against her husband's shoulder. "Good!"
February 12: 4:00 pm
It was several days before Maire finally approached her daughter. She brought a cup of afternoon tea to her husband, who was sitting and reading the Sunday newspaper. "I'm going to go up and tell Sunny about going to Ireland."
"I think it's time." Thomas replied as he took the cup from Maire, "It'll be good for Sunny to get as far away from this Jason and Maya thing as possible."
"Yes, I suppose so," Maire murmured. She went upstairs carrying a tray with a cup of tea and a plate of ginger snap cookies.
Sunny sat in the window seat, staring out with a sketchbook resting in her lap and a pencil tucked behind her ear. Standing on watch was the raven. Sunny had studied this particular raven and recognized him on sight. On impulse, she opened the side window and leaned out. "You're back," Sunny said softly. "I'm sorry, I don't have anything to offer you."
The raven hopped onto a lower limb and then landed on the windowsill. Sunny was captivated by the bird. "You're very handsome!"
The raven puffed up his neck ruff and chuckled. The bird was close enough to touch! Sunny reached out slowly; the raven did not move, but it watched her every movement. Her heart raced with excitement as she extended her hand toward the raven.
Maire knocked lightly and pushed the door open. She froze in horror. "Sunny, close the window right now! What are you doing?"
Sunny looked at her mother. The terrified look on her mother's face was shocking! She slowly withdrew her hand. "Mom, I was just curious --,"
"Close the window, Sunny," Maire said, her voice sharp and angry. "They are dangerous!"
The raven still had not moved from the windowsill. Sunny looked back at the bird and whispered, "I'm sorry, I need to close the window. You're making my mom nervous."
The large black bird clicked its tongue in annoyance and flew away to join several others higher in the branches of the massive oak tree. Sunny latched the window. "You know, this same raven has been visiting for the last few days," Sunny replied. "It's like he's checking on me."
Maire felt a shiver run up her spine and turned away, offering Sunny the plate of ginger snap cookies. "I've spoken to your great aunt Fiona, and your father and I think it would be a good idea for you, perhaps, to spend some time with her."
"Really?" Sunny replied softly, "So she knows?"
"Yes," Maire said, looking at her hands tightly clasped in her lap, "I called her a few days ago. The idea occurred to me that you might like to spend some time in Ireland."
"Why now, Mama?" Sunny asked. "You've always been so against it."
"I know," Maire said. "It's just that I think now, especially now, it would be best."
"Run away?" Sunny said to herself. "To the victor go the spoils."
Maire drew a steadying breath. "Maybe just being in new surroundings will help."
Sunny thought for a moment and then nodded. "Perhaps you're right,"
"When would you like to go?" Maire asked.
"As soon as possible," Sunny said, setting her empty cup on the tray.
Maire wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or more anxious. Sending her daughter to Ireland was something she never imagined herself doing, and her mother—God rest her soul—would be spinning in her grave if she knew she was sending her to Fiona!
Sunny seemed to follow her mother's thoughts and smiled faintly, "Mama, what is so God-awful about Aunt Fiona? If I didn't know better, I'd think Aunt Fiona was a drug dealer!"
Maire glanced at her daughter, thinking she'd wish Fiona were dealing drugs—at least then she'd have something she could explain. Maire chuckled softly and stood up, completely avoiding answering Sunny by looking around the bedroom. "We'll need to get you packed. You still have your passport?"
"I have it," Sunny replied. She remembered she also had Jason's passport. They had planned a honeymoon in England with a short stop in Ireland to see her Aunt Fiona. She pushed that pain aside and looked at her bedside table and the small stack of library books. "I think I'll call the library and see if they can set aside a few books for me to look at – I need to return the ones I've finished reading anyway," Sunny said.
"Good idea," Maire replied, relieved that the conversation had shifted to a safer subject…
In the morning, Sunny got up, showered, and dressed. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and sighed heavily. She had spent enough time hiding in the quiet safety of her bedroom and house. Her parents had tiptoed around the house, around her, and around the subject of canceling the wedding. The wedding date was just days away, and Sunny knew she had to face the difficult task of calling the guest list and informing them that there would be no wedding.
Maire sat at the kitchen table, holding a cup of coffee and the wedding guest list in front of her. She was just as hesitant to start the task as Sunny. When Sunny came downstairs and entered the kitchen, Maire looked expectantly at her daughter. "Mom, let's split up the list and start calling these people."
"All right, dear," Maire replied, then looked into the hall and the dining room, where the wedding gifts had started to pile up on the table. "I have the names checked if there was a gift..."
"Let's hope they kept their receipts," Sunny remarked as she sat down across from her mother at the kitchen table, "or maybe we should send them all over to Maya to handle."
Maire bit her lip. Sarcasm, that was a good sign! A hint of her daughter's sharp attitude was starting to return. "I wouldn't give her another thought!"
Sunny shrugged lightly. It still sent spear points of pain into her chest, and she took a quick breath while pushing back all thoughts of Jason and Maya. Maire pulled the last three sheets of paper from the steno pad with the guest list names and handed them to Sunny. "You want to take these and head into the study while I make calls here?"
Sunny nodded as she headed to the kitchen nook, where her mother kept her cookbooks and the cellphone charging pad. She glanced at the list and smirked at the names. By now, almost everyone had heard the news and was waiting for someone to call and confirm it. "If you get voicemail, just leave a message, Mom."
"Yes, dear," Maire called as she watched her daughter walk out of the kitchen, holding the paper in one hand and her cell phone in the other.
Once in the study, Sunny sat behind the small desk and looked down at her phone. She swiped her thumb across the screen and immediately saw four voicemail messages waiting for her—three from Jason and one from the library. She deleted his long voicemails and listened to the one from the library. Several travel and sightseeing books about Ireland were waiting for her, which cheered her up a bit; when she finished her calls, she planned to head to the library.
She opened the phone app, looked at the first number on the list, and dialed it. It rang until voicemail answered. Sunny quickly recorded a short message and a brief apology for the cancellation. By the time she finished her list, she had condensed her entire message into a quick thirty-five-second phone call. The few people she spoke to were just as uncomfortable hearing from her as she was explaining the situation. Sunny was so mentally exhausted after her last conversation with an old school friend that she nearly decided to skip going to the library.
Resolutely, she folded her list in half and headed back to the kitchen just as her mother was hanging up the phone. They looked at each other, and both sighed heavily. "Task completed," Maire replied. "Now I could use a bit to eat!"
Sunny agreed. "Hummus and veggies?"
"Yes!" Maire brightened at the thought of her favorite snack. "Everything is in the fridge."
Together, they ate at the kitchen table in silence. Maire wasn't sure what to say, and Sunny was too mentally exhausted to express her feelings. Finally, Sunny looked over at her mother and said, "Mom, it's done. Everyone's been called; those presents in the dining room need to go back to whoever sent them, and I'll cancel the registry at the stores. Everything else is up to --," the word 'Jason' caught in her throat. She paused, took a sip of iced tea, and continued, "Everything else is up to Jason to handle. We are done."
"I understand," Maire replied softly. She patted her folded sheets of the list. "I contacted everyone on my list—or left messages. I've heard from Steven Kerrigan; he's offered to come and return the gifts for us. He's been by a few times to ask about you."
Sunny smiled softly. Steven was Jason's friend and would-be best man; he had always been friendly with her. "That was kind of him. I'll be sure to call and thank him for coming by. The library's called, so I'm going to head over and look through the books they ordered for me. Maybe I'll get a chance to visit a few places while I'm in Ireland – places I've always wanted to see and do some drawing."
"I think that will be good," Maire replied, subtly studying her daughter for the signs she had seen the other day, but that smoldering power was gone. She began to relax slightly. "Maybe you should stop by the art supply store and pick up a few supplies?"
Sunny smiled at that thought. "Good idea! I'll do that."
When they finished eating, Maire started tidying up. Sunny grabbed her keys and purse, then went back through the kitchen and hugged her mother. "If you need anything while I'm out, just call or text me, and I'll pick it up."
"I will," Maire said, watching Sunny leave through the laundry room and into the carport, where her car was parked.
Sunny opened the car door, heard a metallic clink, and froze. She looked around and heard another clink. This time, a silver coin rolled toward her and stopped at the toe of her shoe. She bent down and picked it up. She examined it closely—it was a coin with an embossed dog on one side and an Irish harp on the other.
Maire came out to find Sunny still in the driveway, excitedly gathering coins. Just as she was about to join her, she froze in her tracks! A raven floated down and landed near where Sunny stood. It held something silver in its beak, then dropped it at her feet and flapped off. Sunny picked up the coin and looked at it. This time, it was a silver coin with a horse on one side. "Thank you!" Sunny called after the departing ravens. She returned to where her mother was waiting. "Can you believe it? These are all Irish coins!" Sunny opened her hand. "I don't think these are even used anymore, are they?"
Maire took the coin with the horse on it. "This is a silver half-crown!"
"Silver?" Sunny repeated, "Where…"
"Stolen!" Maire growled. "They're all thieves!"
"Mom, that's harsh!" Sunny declared. "Why do you think they're all bad?"
Maire huffed in exasperation. "My mother used to tell me stories about them when I was young; she didn't like them. She said they were messengers for some and mischief makers for others. It depended on who they were watching."
Sunny looked in the direction the ravens had flown and then looked at the coins in her hand. "I just wonder why they did it."
"Aunt Fiona could tell you," Maire said. She looked at the coins in Sunny's hand. "Looks like all are wolfhound sixpence coins and the silver horse half crown. That's going to be the most valuable coin."
Sunny put them in her pocket and rubbed her hand over the pocket protectively. "They're special to me. It makes me feel special somehow."
Maire smiled at her daughter and smoothed a gentle hand over Sunny's russet hair. "Be careful, dear. Tell Mrs. Avery hello for me."
Sunny hugged her mother. "I will. See you in a bit." She got into her car and drove away.
Maire watched a moment longer, then went inside and locked the door.
River Oaks Public Library
Sunny pulled into the large parking lot of the public library and noticed it was somewhat crowded. She grabbed her phone from her purse and checked the date. She had lost track of time and realized that a full parking lot wasn't unusual for a weekday, especially with spring break approaching! There was a rush to finish term papers and end-of-term projects. She was glad she'd finished all of that.
She found a parking spot in the overflow lot under a tall elm tree. She didn't mind because she only had a few books to return. She got out with her book bag and purse, then aimed her key fob over her shoulder as she walked away and locked her car. It beeped, and she received an immediate response. Sunny stopped and looked back. Perched on a limb shading her car was a raven! She smiled and continued toward the library. She felt a sense of normalcy as she entered through the double sliding glass doors. The ladies at the circulation desk greeted her and took her book returns. If they hadheard her news, they didn't show it. She headed toward the center of the library, where the reference department was. The double rows of public computers were nearly full, and the quiet chatter of students was a comforting, calming sound.
At the center of the commotion were the reference librarian and her staff. Everyone was busy assisting groups of students. Sunny noticed two teenagers standing to the side of the reference desk. They looked a little lost, so she moved toward them.
"Hi, my name is Sunny. They look a bit busy. Maybe I can help?
"Hi, Sunny," the young, somber-eyed teenage boy with round glasses extended his hand. "My name's Alan," he gestured toward the dark-haired young woman. "That's my sister, Alexandra. We're looking for an old newspaper article. Could you help us figure out how to use the microfiche reader?"
"Sure thing!" Sunny shook Alan's hand and looked over at the reference librarian behind the desk for permission. "Mrs. Avery, I can help them get set i[ if that's okay with you." The harried-looking woman nodded gratefully and waved them over to the machines. "Thanks, dear. I appreciate it!"
"Come on over where they keep the cabinets of film." The two teens followed her, and once they were standing at the microfilm cabinets, Sunny looked at them more closely. "Hey, aren't you Professor Marsh's kids?"
The young boy smiled widely at her. "You know our Dad?"
Sunny nodded. "I went to school at River Oaks College. I just met him not long ago and remember seeing the photograph of you two on his desk."
Sunny smiled at Alan and looked at Alexandra. "It's really outdated using these film reels, but it's really easy to use once you get the hang of it. Do you know what year or the month you're looking for?"
Alexandra pulled out the old newspaper clipping and showed it to her. "Anything before July and the same year, 1947."
Sunny went to the cabinets, scanned the labels, and pulled open the large, flat drawer with rows of neatly labeled white boxes. Alexandra spotted the year and tapped the box with a long, slim finger. Sunny pulled out the box, and they headed over to the microfiche reader. "The machine pretty much loads the film strip and then once it gets to the first page, you just use this big dial to focus and this other one to scroll back and forth."
The two teens quickly learned how to scan the pages. Sunny found the same article Alexandra had shown her and tapped on the screen with her fingertip. "There you are. This whole cassette has the complete year of 1947 issues of the River Oaks Gazette."
Thanks, Sunny!" Alexandra said. "Do you live in River Oaks?"
Sunny nodded. "Yes, over on the other side of the Kinderhook River, west side of town."
The reference librarian came over. "Thank you, Sunny." She looked over at Alexandra and Alan. "You find what you need?"
"Yes, ma'am," Alan replied.
"Good!" she said, looking at Sunny. "Now that I've finished with Mrs. Foster and her sons, I can show you those books we got for you on Ireland." She glanced at Alan and Alexandra. "If you decide to search somewhere else, just let me know, and we can look in other areas."
Sunny smiled at the teens, meeting Alexandra's golden-brown eyes. Something felt different, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what seemed out of place. As the librarian moved back to her desk, Sunny gently touched Alexandra's shoulder and asked, "You guys all right?"
Both teens nodded, but Alexandra responded, "We're good, thanks for your help, Sunny."
"Hope you have a good time in Ireland," Alan responded with a grin. Sunny's smile was a bit half-hearted at first, but she managed to give him a proper grin back. "Thank you, Alan. I plan on it!" She waved to the teens, joined the librarian at the circular reference desk, and started going through the stack of travel books.
She and Mrs. Avery were looking through the stack of books on Ireland. "It looks like they might have a mystery on their hands," Sunny said, nodding toward the teens.
Mrs. Avery discreetly glanced over her shoulder at them and asked, "What were they looking for?"
"Something on the Harper Estates," Sunny replied. "In 1946 or 47."
"I'll check on them in a bit," Mrs. Avery replied. "Now, when do you leave for Ireland?"
"I'm packing now," Sunny replied. "I hope to leave in a few days."
Mrs. Avery reached over and gently took Sunny's hand. "Maybe you'll find an adventure when you get there!"
Sunny laughed softly. "Oh, I think I've had enough drama to last me a long time, Mrs. Avery. I just want to sit, draw, and forget!"