Eilis covers her face with a pillow as a sliver of sunshine peers through her window coaxing her into wakefulness. She can ignore the sun but it is becoming harder to ignore the loud knocking, one might say banging, on the main door of the house. Groaning, she puts on her slippers and drags her body downstairs.

"What is it?" Eilis asks Nancy who was behind all that knocking.

"Oh dear. What happened to you? Have you forgotten? We're going back to the beach today and then a trip through the hills with the little ones? Are you alright Eilis?" Nancy walks in and puts the back of her hand to Eilis' forehead. Ellis shoves the hand away.

"Do you want tea?" Ellis murmurs heading over to the kitchen.

"No, I'm fine. But you don't seem to be. Eilis what is it?"

"I'm not…feeling well. Probably best that I don't go with you to the beach." Ellis says. She wasn't entirely lying. She isn't feeling well. But really, she wants to avoid that beach at all cost.

"You seemed fine yesterday." Nancy says.

"Well now I'm not." Eilis says and knows she probably took it too far.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bark at you like that." Eilis apologizes.

"This is more than just not feeling well….Are you missing Tony? And your Rosie and Frankie?" Nancy asks gently. Unfortunately, these words seem to break any resolve Eilis had. She does miss her family and she feels terribly guilty for her actions.

"Oh no! Eilis, come here sweetheart, it's fine. All is fine." Nancy takes Eilis into a hug and caresses her head while Eilis cries her eyes out in Nancy's dress.

"It's not just that." Ellis stutters out.

"What do you mean?"

"I miss them terribly, you have no idea. I miss Tony, so so much. But…" Eilis begins but stops unsure whether she should actually tell Nancy about last night. Nancy is her best friend but maybe she shouldn't burden her with such information.

"Eilis, I'm your friend." Nancy says as if reading her mind.

"I did something I shouldn't have last night." Eilis says quietly biting her lip. She lets that sink in and hopes that Nancy will figure it out.

"What happened?" Nancy asks.

"I…I kissed Jim." Eilis says and just saying it out loud brings back the intensity of that moment. His beautiful eyes look down at her softly.

There is a lot of surprise in Nancy's face but not as much as one might expect in such a situation.

"It just all happened so fast. When you left he came to the beach and we walked. It started to get dark so we went to his place and then…then we stood there so close to each other…it was unbearable. And for a moment I forgot my place and asked him to kiss me. And he did. Jim kissed me and I lost myself in that moment. We kissed and touched until…a moment of reality slapped us in the face realizing what we were doing. Oh Nancy, I broke down after that. I cried, in front of Jim. Not only did I hurt him by asking him to do something I know he wished he could but then I stopped it. I…Tony…Nancy…" Eilis gets lost in the last bit as more tears start pouring down her face.

"Eilis, you have to calm down honey. Breathe." Nancy says with a steady voice, so Eilis follows her advice and breathes. It takes many breaths before she can say that she is no longer in a frantic state.

"You never stopped caring for Jim you know. I know that. We can't always be strong. Eilis, this is not the end of the world."

"I enjoyed it Nancy. I enjoyed kissing him and being with him. Even with the knowledge that I was…going against Tony."

"I know. I know." Nancy says and continues caressing Eilis' mussed hair.

"I don't know what to do…"

"The decision is yours but when you go back to America tell Tony what happened. You had a moment of weakness spurred on by all your memories from back home. I may not know Tony in person but from all you have said about him he is a wonderful man, he will forgive you Eilis. As for Jim…maybe give yourself some time away from him…?" Nancy says and Eilis nods because she has no other ideas as to what the course of action is now.

"Thank you. I am sorry for being a burden. I know Jim is your friend."

"You are however my best friend. I won't tell George…though I wouldn't be surprised if Jim told George so just be prepared. But I will take care of George yeah? You take a breather." Nancy says as if they were getting ready to go into battle.

"Thank you."