Chapter 32: Hope 22nd December 1996
Tick Tock
The date was a significant milestone in the story of James Maguire and Erin Quinn. It was a year to the day that they admitted their feelings to one and other in her bedroom, the start of the eventful journey that led to the morning of the day three hundred and sixty-six days later.
The day of their wedding.
On paper, a year together didn't seem like much, but the events of the year that they'd had seemed like a lifetime already. On becoming a couple, they'd found the missing pieces of their own lives that they did not put their fingers on being absent before. Though they'd known each for well over a year before becoming a couple, instantly they could not do without each other once they had done so. Having it nearly ripped away from them on more than one occasion that spring only served to strengthen their relationship, and when he proposed on Good Friday, there was only ever going to be one answer.
In the weeks that followed their engagement, they'd carefully planned out a wedding, both wishing to hold it on the anniversary of their relationship beginning. There was something poetic about it, which Erin made sure to stress adamantly a number of times, and also something so right. It was the perfect start to the Christmas holidays too, a Christmas they would be spending as a couple in their own home. Once the exams were over, and school was finished, they moved straight in at the start of the summer. Piece by piece, they were furnishing their home, bringing items from their own homes as well as buying new things too. It was far from complete, with the dining room only receiving one or two new acquisitions entirely, but it didn't need to be rushed.
They'd enjoyed their first holiday together in the summer too, with James having passed his driving test and, thanks to some help from Antony Scanlon of all people, purchased a nice car to own. The mechanic used his connections in order to get James a rather large discount, not hesitating to do so when he found out James had passed. A two-week adventure from Derry to England in August involved a lot of driving, giving James a lot of time to practice as well, but it was perfect for them. Setting off on the 10th, they incorporated a visit to see the girls at their new base at Harriet's home in the Cotswolds a couple of days later, before moving down to Devon for the main part of their holiday. That included watching Orla race at Newton Abbot racecourse on the 15th, where she won the last race of the evening meeting. After a beautiful week or so, where they'd stayed at a luxurious hotel at the small coastal resort of Dawlish Warren, they met Kathy for a day in Oxford. She'd travelled up from London to see her boy and his soon to be wife, participating in a day of merriment before the couple returned to Derry. A perfect summer.
Kathy had stayed in Derry until a few days after Easter, returning home to London to continue running the self-adhesive labels business. Business ran smoothly throughout the year, profits increasing as the year drew to a close, with the run up to Christmas especially busy. She was never going to stay in Derry, having made it very clear in the past that living back in her home city was off the cards. But back she was again for the wedding, having made the trip over the day before and spending the evening with her son at his home he shared with Erin, Erin herself spending the night before the wedding back at the Quinn house. She'd visited once between meeting them in Oxford and that weekend, having made a trip over one weekend early in October. She'd promised to make more visits over the following year as the business settled, though some were going to be out of necessity more than social calls…
Standing at the altar that morning, with Erin just a few minutes away, James took a look out over his family and friends. And to the thought of the one person that he wished was there, but sadly was not.
His father.
On Easter Saturday, James spoke to his father for the first time.
But also, the last time.
After the miracles of surviving the multiple attempts to kill him, James could not produce another one in the form of being accepted by his biological father. Ronan made it clear to him that he could not bring James into his life, wishing to focus on the rest of his family ahead of the son he never wanted in the first place. He'd always believed there would be a chance that Ronan didn't wish to open his heart, so he accepted it, but it upset him deeply. Finally finding the father he never thought he would find, and then finding himself unwanted by the man, hurt. A lot. But with the love of Erin and, from back in London, his mother, he didn't stay depressed for long. He already had father figures in his Uncle Martin, Joe and Gerry; if his own father didn't want him, then he had three others that did.
That should have been the end of it.
The trial of Moira and the Scanlon's kicked off not that long after Easter. James attended as much as he could, always with Erin by his side, Sister Michael having understood the need for him to do so and granting them the odd morning away from school. It was tough for him to sit and listen to the pure unfiltered hatred and contempt that she held for him, not that it did anything to dampen his resolve to one day reconcile with her. One night in May though, it proved to be even tougher for his biological father. Moira's remorseless testimonies proved a breaking point for a marriage that's foundations had been shook for a second time by the name Maguire. Aine and Ronan would row daily, with his unfaithful actions of years before ensuring that she could no longer trust him, making it a deadly combination with the stress of their daughter's trial. The night of the 29th May, sandwiched in the middle of the exam period, became a night to forget for James.
There were only rumours about what had happened at first, but by the time the late-night news aired that night, it confirmed the grim reality of the rumours. Aine and Ronan O'Keefe were both found dead at their home. With the children staying with some of their older siblings for a couple of days, the two of them were trying to use the break from parental duties to rebuild their marriage. But Ronan couldn't go on, the guilt over his own mistakes from the past having driven Moira to a lust for blood, that was unable to be shaken, causing his life to boil over again. Waiting for Aine to return from a trip to the shops, he'd killed her in the kitchen whilst she was putting the shopping away, bludgeoning her to death with a hammer. Having already written out his own note for the cops to find, he found his father's old pistol in the loft and shot himself in the head with it, his body crumpling down next to his wife's. Knowing that the noise would alert the neighbours, they'd called the cops, the RUC men stumbling across the brutal scene a short while later.
James cried himself to sleep in Erin's arms that night, mourning for a father who he didn't know, but still held affection for. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for the children, his half siblings, who'd lost both of their parents that night. As Erin did her best to comfort him as he lay sobbing into her chest, he told her of the difficulty it was causing him. James wanted to go to his half siblings, to share in the grief with them, yet felt guilty because he still had Kathy to love, whereas they no longer had either parent. She'd told him that it wasn't irrational to feel that way, soothing his pain in the early hours of the following morning until he eventually fell asleep. The rest of the exam period became a true struggle for the Englishman, but with the support of family and friends, and his own steely determination, he got through them.
That was as much thought as he was willing to give Ronan on his wedding day though. It was supposed to be a happy day, so he wiped the tears out his eyes.
"You alright son?" Joe checked in with him.
"Y… Yes". James stuttered but curved his lips into a smile. "I'm about to become the happiest man in the world".
Tick Tock
Erin Quinn was living her last minutes of going by that surname. By the setting of the sun that afternoon, in the eyes of the Lord and in law, she would be Erin Josephine Maguire. If someone had whispered that in her ear on the first morning James appeared from behind Michelle's shoulder, she'd have viciously rebuked them about wising up. Michelle owned the fella then, by ways of being stuck with him, but within the next hour, that ownership would pass to her.
That would be the first of many experiences shared with the wee English fella, who over time, grew to become her wee English fella. After having been so convinced she'd lost him to, in her eyes, the far more beautiful Harriet the prior Christmas, the evening exactly one year before her wedding day started the best year of her life. A strange title to give to a year which saw James beaten within an inch of his, subsequently coming close to being murdered by his own half-sister, as well as nearly also being killed by a ghost from her Granda Joe's past and then losing his biological father. All great stories held sad moments though, but it was the happier ones that they were going to remember the year by. James daringly stealing her mother's wooden spoon… Valentine's morning when they'd first made love to each other… becoming Grand National winning owners and then James proposing to her on Good Friday in front of all of their family and friends. The best times of her life.
Tick Tock
Sat in her wedding car, Erin could only think of those happier times. Those absolutely fantastic days with James. Returning to school after the Easter break also turned out to be a wonderous time for Erin. Amazingly, considering Derry was… Derry… not one other student had any idea about their engagement until they looked at their hands and saw the rings. Near enough everyone was happy for the pair of them too, barring Moira's loyal friends, though they were quickly silenced by other students who were more than happy to defend the couple. James still struggled for a few weeks with his broken leg, but with the help of her, the girls and the teachers, getting around school was no problem at all.
Mr Flanagan proved, as he often had done, to be a valuable ally.
The History teacher was delighted for the young couple on Good Friday itself, unsurprised that they would get married, albeit not expecting it so soon. Teachers weren't really supposed to have favourites, or show any kind of special treatment to students, but there was something about James Maguire and Erin Quinn that drove him to like them above all. The rest of the gang too. His moral support to the gang did not go unpaid either; every single one of them passed their History exam with flying colours to honour him, Orla again smashing the Cromwell exam out of the park. For Robert Flanagan, that was the greatest award of all. However, it wasn't to be his only award. Miss Mooney decided to leave the school for a job with far better pay and no Sister Michael, her loss in the head mistress' eyes, rendering the deputy position vacant. He'd not even been teaching a year at the school and was unveiled as its new deputy head. Quite the achievement, but one the girls believed to be well deserved.
Tick Tock
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"Da! Yer watch is so loud, can ye take it off… yer ruinin' my wedding day!"
"Alright love". Gerry put his hands up in a mock surrender. "Christ, I knew yer mother bought this from Dennis…".
Erin rolled her eyes at her father's grumbling antics, Gerry leaving the watch on the backseat of the car in between them. The watch would be one less guest at the wedding. The church was going to be packed full, as even people they didn't know wanted to witness the wedding of a girl of their own city to a wee English fella, also of their city. Having offered to act as the main planner alongside her daughter, Mary was flustered by the sheer amount of people that would need to be seated in the church and then have food provided for them at the reception. Dennis wasn't going to be catering, that was for sure. She was awash with panic that morning too, with Erin and Gerry lucky that they were not having to share a car with her.
Unfortunately for the bridesmaids, they were…
What if there weren't enough seats?
What if the priest was suddenly taken ill?
Did the caterers know what time to expect them?
Shit! Was enough Champagne ordered?
Mary was firing questions at the three bridesmaids in the back of the car, two of whom were trying to calm her down, whilst the other looked out the window and waved at people.
Orla being in a world of her own whilst waving at whoever might be walking past the two-car procession was at least one distraction less for her not to worry about, but Mary wanted it to be the perfect day for Erin and was terrified it would all go wrong. Making matters worse, Clare was joining her in the panicking rather than trying to give her reassuring answers, which left only Michelle to pick up the pieces. Michelle and her gutter mouth.
"Fucks sake, can ye both calm down!".
"Calm down… CALM DOWN?!" Mary spat fire at Michelle. "You aren't the one who's been puttin' all this together Michelle… you aren't responsible if my Erin doesn't have the day she wants!"
"Hmph! Can't be that good…".
"Excuse me?!"
"She's marryin' my fuckin' ballbag of a cousin, what's perfect about that?" She snorted.
"Wise up Michelle!" Clare shouted at her in her fretting state. "It's perfect for Erin and ye know it!"
Michelle was spared from having to defend her opinion by the ringing of her mobile telephone. Deirdre finally caved in for Michelle's eighteenth birthday, buying her one of the fancy phones, making her job as Orla's agent far easier. It did cause a problem for everyone else though, as the phone would rarely leave Michelle's side, ringing at all hours of the day and being answered without fail. She'd often phone James and Erin at their house from her landline phone in England, only to abruptly hang up on them a minute later in order to take a call on the mobile.
"Michelle Mallon…".
She answered like a hotshot businesswoman, only missing the sunglasses to complete the look. The three of them were then treated to a typically Michelle the jockey's agent conversation.
"Ach hello there Mr Moore…".
"Not bad thank ye….".
"Aye she's at Down Royal on Boxing Day…".
"Give me a second, let me get me planner out…".
Mary wasn't best pleased when Michelle got into the car with a handbag full of diaries and race fixtures, as well as the phone, and glared at her as she proceeded with the phone call. Clare was equally angered by her lack of respect for the situation they were in, given Mary's panicking, though Orla was listening in intently. It might mean more rides!
"So yer man's injured then… Christ, that's a nightmare…".
"No, she's with me back home. It's her cousin's weddin', we're just on the way there now…".
Putting the phone down for a second, Michelle looked to Mary.
"Arthur passes on his best for Erin".
Mary nodded, still too panicked with the thoughts in her head to give a sensibly worded answer, even if a simple 'Thank you' was all that was needed.
"Right then…". Michelle picked the phone back up. "… so which races do ye need her…".
"Aye she can do that one in the first… good on the weight front as well…".
"No the two o'clock she's already ridin' one for Frankie…".
"Tell her to get off it? Catch yourself on!"
"Yeah… that's what I thought, shall we continue?".
"She can do that one in the fourth as well… just the two then…".
"right, I'll speak to ye on Boxing day mornin'…".
"Happy Christmas aye…".
The phone finally went down, just as they entered the road down to the church with Michelle excitedly then informing Orla of the additional rides on Boxing Day. With four rides at the course, which was just a stone's throw away from The Maze prison, the family would all spend a day at the races after Christmas, hoping for Orla to win a race or two.
Which they knew she would.
Winning races was becoming something of a norm when it came to Orla. She'd only rode sporadically through the exam period, taking advantage of her amateur status to continue to ride Frankie's horses on the amateur circuit. Combining that with riding in the normal National Hunt races, the successes staggeringly kept coming. She'd won the Irish National on Easter Monday in a comfortable fashion, kicking off a week that ended with four winners under professional rules and a winner for Frankie at the hunt track on the Friday. With two Nationals under her belt before her seventeenth birthday, she was already garnering a reputation for being a National specialist, encapsulated once again at Ayr racecourse later that month when she put the others to the sword in the Scottish National. She was only missing the Welsh one to add to her collection, a collection that she was aiming to complete before the year was out. The Welsh National was held the day after Boxing Day, so she would be hotfooting it from Down Royal to the airport, flying over to Wales's Chepstow racecourse for the ride. Although, it was not set-in stone that she would do so, as the weather forecast was not looking too good for the days to come in Wales.
Once the exams were over, and school was finished for another year, Orla had made her way to England. It wasn't her first trip back either, having gone with all of them to visit Queen Elizabeth II herself in April, and Her Majesty even let her have one of the Corgi's, after she'd said how 'cracker the wee dogs were'. The opportunity to ride Harriet's fathers' horses was meant to begin in the winter, but Orla's Grand National success changed everything. Catching the eye of the world usually led to an opportunity, one which an English trainer gave her after a phone call with Michelle at the start of May. Orla became the apprentice to trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, spending around a month or so settling in to work at his stables in the Cotswolds, having her first competitive ride for him at Worcester racecourse in July. Which was a winning one. Being an apprentice allowed her to claim weight in races, something which the other jockeys believed she didn't need. Starting off being able to take seven pounds off a horse's back, any trainer or owner who held an entry at top weight in a handicap race, would be on the phone to Michelle begging to have Orla. The talent of Orla McCool plus the additional weight off the horse was legal cheating, and it didn't take long for the claim to be worn down. By the morning of Erin's wedding, she'd ridden fifty-three winners in England that season, eradicating her claim down to just three pounds. At ninety-five winners, she could claim no more, and there was a real chance that she would achieve that figure before the end of the season.
Her success wasn't limited to England either. She couldn't ride in the amateur races once she'd accepted the apprenticeship position in England, but if Frankie ever needed her to ride a horse under professional rules, then Michelle knew to clear her schedule. Even if it clashed with a ride for the Twiston-Davies team, they understood Orla wanting to go back home to ride for the trainer who first recognised her ability. Loyalty was an important concept to Orla. Her loyalty to her Grand National winning mount remained too, going over to the Czech Republic in October and steering Bogside Warrior to victory in the race she'd affectionally renamed the 'Velcro Park Beaker'… or the Velká Pardubická as it was actually known. Since the first winner in March, she'd ridden eighty-two winners all together across multiple countries in both the professional and amateur ranks. At seventeen, it was quite extraordinary.
She owed a lot to Michelle.
Stepping up seamlessly into the role of agent, Michelle became a force to be reckoned with on the racing scene. She developed a brilliant working relationship with any trainers or owners who requested Orla for their horse, but if anyone tried to put pressure on Orla, they were met with both barrels. After having finished second on a horse for one particular owner, they rang Michelle demanding that her client pay them for a poor ride. Having watched the race herself from their home back in the Cotswolds, Michelle was aware that Orla was beaten fair and square, rather than it being a poor performance on her behalf. The owner would never be contacting them again, with ears burning from the receiving end of the Mallon tongue.
Another on the receiving end of that tongue, though in a different context, was Tom. Their relationship blossomed from Easter onwards, with the Englishman earning himself a place at the Gloucestershire University that September, moving in with her in the Cotswolds before the start of his studies. He was studying to become a physiotherapist, with the job at Aintree only being for a bit of money on the side. It was pure luck that Michelle was going to be living so close to the University, but a bit of luck they reaped the rewards of. Once he'd returned to England after the few days at Easter, they'd spoken every night on the phone throughout the next couple of months. When they did meet up again in July, he took her away for a lovely few days together in Spain, with Michelle continuing her agents role from there upon receiving the phone for her birthday. It was odd for her, considering she'd always just seen fellas as rides, to actually be in love with one, but Tom made her feel special in the same way James did for Erin. And that was more than enough for Michelle. Harriet allowing him to stay there with her too, seeing as it was Harriet's property and she had every right to say no, was another thing she had to be thankful for. She wasn't the only one. For when James and Erin visited in August, they visited all of the girls at their Cotswold base.
Clare moved over to England too.
After having contemplated her wish to become a teacher further, the diminutive blonde was still uncertain, and then the imminent departure of two of the group to England, left only James and Erin, who were engaged. She'd suddenly felt a sense of isolation, but wisely chose to open up to Harriet rather than anyone else. The English girl, being the understanding and supportive friend that she'd always been to the gang, made the suggestion of moving over with the other two. After all, Harriet would be at university and Michelle would be wrapped up in the business of being a jockey's agent… so someone needed to look after things at the house. Still wanting to work as well though, she'd began to help with accounts work for all of the businesses that Harriet's family owned throughout England and Ireland, combining it with managing the house. It was only twenty hours or so a week, but she was looked after by Harriet financially, with her father extremely grateful for the assistance. The business's finances were of a concern until Clare stepped in to re-organise how they were managed, getting them all up to date within only a few weeks. Being able to spend her days with Michelle, and her evenings with Orla too, a normal, peaceful life had evolved in England for Clare. She couldn't have asked for anything else.
All three of them couldn't be happier on that morning either. As much as Michelle may have still made scathing comments about James at every opportunity, it warmed her to know that her dick of a cousin and one of her best friends were about to truly seal their future together. The two were a perfect couple; a pair of awkward and adorable teenagers that held the keys to each other's hearts.
Coming to a stop outside the church, they exited their vehicle behind the wedding car. Mary and the three bridesmaids beamed with immense pride as Gerry helped Erin out of the car, her white dress billowing in the wind behind her. For her parents, it was one of the proudest moments of their life, one that was coming a lot earlier than anticipated, but feeling right nonetheless. James Maguire, the perfect candidate as a son in-law, was just a few minutes away from earning that title in the eyes of the Lord.
"Right then!" Michelle shouted. "Let's get these two feckin' eejits married!"
The time had come.
They could hear the cars pulling up outside, and James turned to his best man and the other two groomsmen with a smile on his face.
It was an easy decision when it came to choosing a best man. He chose the best man that he could think of in his life, and though it was a tie with Gerry, Joe wasn't having to give the bride away, so it was Erin's Granda that served as her fella's best man. His Uncle Martin and Tom were chosen as the two groomsmen, with James's friendship with Tom becoming a concrete one. After all, they were two English lads who were both in love with two beautiful girls from Derry… they needed to be friends to survive the girls!
"I'm nervous". James admitted to Joe.
"Don't be son…". Joe spoke softly, a typically calming hand being placed on James' shoulder. "… ye deserve this, so ya do. I couldn't be more contented as Erin's Granda in seein' ye take her hand".
James could have cried there and then at the beautiful comment from Joe, but he held his nerve, instead chuckling to himself to ease the tears away.
"Thanks Joe".
Suddenly the doors to the church creaked open, the packed rows of people all standing to witness the arrival of the bride. Not that it was going to be a conventional procession to the altar of course. This was their lives after all… it wouldn't be right if one of the gang didn't go and do something ridiculous on such a momentous day. It most certainly wouldn't be the Queen of cack attacks, for she was still worrying that one thing or the other would go wrong. When it came to the random and ridiculous, Orla would usually be the first choice for being the culprit, but it was Michelle on that day that went and ruined it.
"MOTHERFUCKERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"
There were shocked gasps from throughout the crowd as she roared her typical greeting into the house of God, the shout bouncing off the walls all around them. James could only put his head in his hands as everyone else glared at his cousin, who was stood covering the entrance, a face that started to redden when she realised the rapturous laughter she'd thought would occur afterwards, did not start at all.
"I am going to kill her…". Deirdre muttered as she stood with her sister.
Kathy may have carried an expression of shock on her face, but she actually thought it was quite amusing that Michelle would shout that into the church. It seemed to work for the organ player too, who decided to begin playing the entrance music to cover the silence Michelle created. The young Mallon was out of the way in a split second the moment that it began, to reveal the bride on the arm of her father. Gerry believed himself to be the proudest man on Earth, ready to hand his daughter over to the greatest young man he could have possibly hoped for.
From the altar, James stared down the aisle to gaze upon the presence of an angel that appeared in the doorway. He hadn't seen her since first thing the previous morning, the pang in his heart constantly reminding him just how much he'd missed her since. When their joyfully watered eyes met, Erin's smile put his heart right back into place again, with his classic lopsided grin sending her heart the same way.
She was his angel.
He also looked to Gerry too, and as father and daughter made their way up the aisle to the altar, there was a nod shared. Of course for Gerry, there was an extra special duty that he was performing as he led her to James's side. Because it wasn't just her…
James moved his eyes away from the man who was about to become his father in-law, to his bride, glancing down. His eyes were fixed on the swell of her belly, where their first child was beginning to grow. As they'd began the process of moving into their new home that summer, the two of them sat down one night to hold a conversation both had been wanting to have with the other for a while. On the night before James was attacked in March, they'd briefly discussed having children in the future, coming to the conclusion that they weren't ready for it, one which was supported by Mary. The events of the weeks that followed had forced a change in opinion for the both of them though, and once the exams were out of the way, they could finally have their next discussion on the matter. With James having spoken his mind first, Erin was relieved that he too wished for a child. So from that night onwards, they tried for one. When they'd told Mary and Gerry of their plans, the former was against the idea, but it was Gerry who'd talked his wife around, knowing that James would do right by their daughter. With the decision being a joint one between the couple, he was satisfied that they were ready and gave his blessing, not that they asked for it.
After all, they'd conquered death together… creating a new life was a far less frightening prospect.
The day before their holiday adventure to England, Erin confirmed to him that she was pregnant, making the trip even more special in his eyes. It did also mean he got an extra earful from Mary the morning that they set off, being reminded that he had two people to look after and not one. It didn't matter though, because James could not have been happier. Michelle was far from pleased when they'd told her during their trip to England, Clare having to place herself between the cousins to stop Michelle hitting him, but she'd eventually came around. Having proven to be so naturally suited to a fatherly role with how he was with Anna, even she couldn't deny that he would be a brilliant daddy. The whole family were pleased for them really, with only Sarah raising her concerns in case the baby came out speaking English, which she still believed to be a problem… though James and Erin paid little attention to what she thought.
Their child was due in a few months' time, which necessitated the plans for their own futures having to reassessed. Financially, James was concerned, as they couldn't just live off the money he'd won on the bet, as most of it had already been spent on the house and its furnishings. Turning to his mother, Kathy reneged on her previous decision in her letter and made him an associate within the business, James then being able to work from home and help to make sales in Ireland. Being at home meant that when the child was born, he could spend the precious early years raising it and being there with Erin, instead of having to be out working all of the time. It also allowed Erin to take a year away from studying, with the aim of starting her journalism degree the following September, taking off any additional pressures in the run up to the birth. Both of their families offered their support too, with the couple preparing for the inevitable fights between Mary and Deirdre for who got to look after the baby on which afternoon.
As Erin drew up alongside him, James's heart fluttered. She was truly stunning in her gorgeous wedding dress, Sarah having done a fantastic job with her makeup that morning too. He could see Erin's Aunt over her shoulder and smiled over to her as a thank you for making his Erin look beautiful on their big day.
"You…". He could barely speak above a murmur. "… you are a glorious vision".
Blinking back the tears, Erin could have broken all traditions to snog the face off of him there and then, but she just about held back.
The wedding of James Maguire and Erin Quinn began…
The rings were ready to be exchanged and consent was ready to be given.
Neither could stop smiling at the other in front of their captivated audience. There was barely a dry eye in the church, oddly enough Anna was probably the driest eyed and she was the baby.
"Since it is your intention to enter the covenant of Holy Matrimony…". The priest began. "… I invite you to join your hands and declare your consent before god".
Erin held her hand out for James, and he took it, giving her a slight squeeze, eliciting a sweet chuckle from under her breath. She could see her Granda Joe over his shoulder, who's tears were streaming like the Foyle as he watched on. He remembered being stood where James was, marrying his Marie all those years ago, as she looked beautiful within her veil. Then the equally beautiful, apart from Gerry being the one his Mary had chosen, wedding day of his daughter. Now it was the turn of one of his granddaughters. His one fear in his later years, was not being able to see any of Erin, Orla or Anna get married. He still held every chance of seeing all three wedded and was going to meet a great grandchild before he was called to the Lord's side. When he chose family over violence, nothing told him his decision was more correct than as he stood there watching over the young couple that morning.
"James". The priest addressed him to begin the consent. "Do you take Erin to be your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?
He was going to love her every day for as long as he drew breath, that was a promise he'd made to himself one year to the day before. The answer was an easy one.
"I do".
She was desperately trying not to become overwhelmed by the emotions, emotions that already had taken Clare, Mary, Kathy and Joe. All four were sobbing with joy.
"Erin". The priest turned to her. "Do you take James to be your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?
She was going to love him for as long as the good Lord would allow her too, having already done so for so long, now revelling in the chance for it to be recognised in God's eyes. The answer was an easy one.
"I do".
With the melodic answer ringing in his ears, a bleary-eyed James looked over Erin's shoulder to see Michelle, who'd finally given up trying to keep it together. Tears were streaming down her face, ones of complete and utter joy for her cousin and one of her best friends. She'd never seen James be baptised as a child, so she'd given him a baptism of fire when he arrived in Derry. Spending most of her time with him in attempts to toughen him up with ridicule or teasing, it made her heart leap out of her chest to see him so happy. James had endured a rough ride in life, with hers being navigated with comparative ease compared to his, so to see him enjoying his greatest moment was incredible. Her dick of an English cousin, getting what he so richly deserved. A most caring, loving wife.
Focusing back on the ceremony, the priest waffled about something or other for a minute, James not really caring to listen to the overly religious parts of the ceremony, not exactly being a devoted religious man himself. He did spring back into action though when the priest mentioned the rings, which were placed in front of them by Joe.
"Erin…". He spoke the name of his angel directly to her, placing the ring onto her finger. "…Please accept this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity to you in the eyes of the Lord".
He could feel the electric surge that their hands being on each other's caused at that moment, the sparks flooding back around their bodies. The sparks that would often be felt as they held hands walking home from school, the same sparks when she would cuddle up next to him and the very ones when they would graze hands passing a box of cereal between them. The sparks of love.
"James…". She almost whispered the name of her beloved, sliding the ring onto his outstretched finger. "… Please accept this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity to you in the eyes of the Lord".
Everyone in the church was blubbering in some capacity, Kathy and Deirdre holding his hands whilst watching the young couple give themselves to each other. Gerry's arm was around his Mary as she wept joyfully, Sarah holding her hand to the other side too.
"I now pronounce you, man and wife".
The priest grinned from ear to ear. It was his honour to be the man chosen to perform the ceremony, for perhaps the most well documented marriage in the city's history. The marriage of Erin Quinn and the wee English fella. A marriage that broke the laws of science and averages. One which confirmed her as Erin Maguire…
He turned his attention to James.
"You may now kiss the bride".
Two pairs of irises locked onto each other as the words were uttered, as they had done so many times. This though, would be the first time where their lips would come together as a lawfully married couple. In the church that Sunday, there were no conventions holding them back… there was no one there to tell them that it was wrong… no Moira O'Keefe… no Danny or Brian Scanlon… nor Michael McNulty. They were safely stood at the altar, with a child growing inside of her, being seen as husband and wife.
As their lips came together, they were grinning away like eejits, like they had done the first time they'd kissed in her bedroom that night. Joe would be interrupting again too, though this time it was in unison with everyone else in the church, applauding the marriage of the two complete doses, who'd fallen so deeply in love. Pulling away from each other, they could only think to say the same thing, at exactly the same time.
"I love you".
Their love, that started as a fleeting hope, became defined by that very word.
Hope.
Their relationship existed on hope, the hope that they would be able to be with each other for the rest of their lives. The hope that they would share the experiences that could be looked back on in the end with glee and without regret. Hope that they could involve their closest friends and share in their dreams and ambitions too. Hoping that Orla could break every boundary when it came to the view of women in sport, ripping up every script written by men who would forever be in fear of the name McCool. Hoping that Clare could find her own happiness and change perceptions in whatever she strived to accomplish. The hope that Michelle would continue to knuckle down with her job and find her own peaceful love, whether it be with Tom or anyone else.
So when their daughter was born, timing her arrival perfectly on Good Friday of the following year, to coincide with the day James had asked Erin to marry him, they named her Hope. As a lasting memory of how their story began and the way in which it would continue to exist.
With Hope.
At the end of the day, it was a message they were sending to everyone. That with hope, anything was then possible if you then dared to dream. The road to those dreams may be rocky, the summit not always being visible, but with the power of hope on your side, you can conquer all.
Hope.
