When tomorrow rolled around Leo was nowhere to be found. He had let Assumpta sleep in as he figured she needed it. Niamh had promised to work a couple of hours at lunchtime, so long as little Kieran was happy to sleep in the kitchen.
Assumpta stirred from her deep slumber just gone eleven, worrying about the lack of time she had, she quickly changed into an old pair of faded jeans and a frayed baggy, beige jumper that rested at her hips.
"Leo?" She called out, repressing a yawn.
"He's not here 'Sumpta," her best friend called out.
"Niamh? What you doing here?"
"Well don't sound too pleased to see me, will you." She said greeting her friend at the bottom of the stairwell.
"Sorry, I overslept and I just thought Leo would be here."
"Well he isn't, happen he's in Kildargen, feeling sorry for himself," the brunette replied as she went into the kitchen to comfort her crying child.
"Oh, what because I reminded him that this is my business and not his? What's he gone to Kildargen for anyway?"
"Oh, I don't know, work I guess," she said as she gently bounced Kieran on her knee to try and make him smile, "I know my darling, I know, shh."
"Well thanks for coming in, but if you have more pressing matters to attend to-"
"Will you stop being so stubborn, I am your friend and I work here, so when the call came, what was I supposed to do?"
"What about the baby?"
"He's fine, he loves it here, don't you pet?" She smiled placing a kiss on her son's cheek. "Are you sure you are alright, Leo said you had been overdoing things, of late."
"I'm fine, no really; I just needed an early night. That was all."
Niahm wasn't convinced in the slightest. Her friend's hand on her delicate forehead didn't indicate that she was telling the truth.
"Then why do you look as if you are going to keel over any second?" Mrs Egan said raising her eyebrow.
"I'm fine, honestly. I just need to eat something."
"Do you want me to make you something?"
"No, I'm fine thank you, I'll get something from Kathleen's, Fionn needs his walk and anyway I could do with a bit of fresh air."
"Well make sure you get something wholesome, we don't want you wasting away. You can take Kieran in his pram; I need a wee break from his screams. Oh and would you be able to look in on Father Clifford while you are out and about, he hasn't shown his face in here for days. People are starting to worry."
"Yes ma." Assumpta said sarcastically. She needed to see Peter anyway. She had left it long enough.
As she walked, Assumpta noticed the daisies which lined the pavement had begun to poke their way through. That was about all the nature she noticed as juggled manoeuvring the large pram, complete with crying baby and a dog who desperately wanted run on ahead.
Her knees buckled as she reached the red door which housed the curate. Reaching for the brass door knocker she felt her stomach knot before it flipped over. How could one man reduce her to this pathetic mess?
"Assumpta, wow you've been busy since I last saw you," he joked, nodding at the small child she was trying to shush.
"Ha, ha very funny, Peter, here will you hold him, I think I'm going to be sick." Fionn ran on ahead and positioned himself by the fireplace as she loosened her grip on his lead.
"The bathroom's, upstairs, first on the right," his call tailed off as she rapidly made her way up the flight of stairs. In the rush of everything he had forgotten that she knew exactly where it was.
"Assumpta, are you alright?" Peter finally called as the sound of dry retching disappeared.
"Yeah, I'm fine; I think I have a touch of the flu, that's all."
"Can I get you anything?" He asked as he made his way to the bathroom, where he found Assumpta slumped over the toilet bowl.
"A glass of water would be great," she croaked as she flushed the loo one final time.
Once the landlady had gotten herself cleaned up she joined him in the kitchen.
"Your water."
"Thanks," came her reply before she took a big gulp of the clear liquid. "That's better," She smiled.
A silence joined them in the room, now that little Kieran was sleep.
"I take it you didn't just come here to throw up."
"No," Assumpta laughed nervously. "Niamh sent me round, happen everyone is worried about you, you haven't been seen for a bit."
"Oh. And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Where you worried?"
"Peter, you're a big boy, you can look after yourself, but yes I did wonder where you had got to," she replied, her cheeks flushed brighter than the red nail varnish she was sporting.
"Why wait until now to see me?"
"It wasn't by choice, you think I've enjoyed spending five weeks stewing over this, thoughts of us, what we did going round and round my head? If you had bothered to come to the pub you would have seen that I've been run off my feet lately. Anyway what's been keeping you away?"
"Father Mac, he's been called away so I've been looking after things in Kildargen as well as here, in Ballyk."
"Oh, so you've not been avoiding me then?" Peter could sense an element of surprise in her voice.
"Not primarily," he muttered.
"So where do we go from here?"
"You tell me?"
"Peter, it's been five weeks, you must have given some thought into what we should do."
"Of course, I have. Assumpta, if I am being honest, it is all I have really thought about."
"Well then?"
"What do you want to do, Assumpta?"
"Peter, would you stop avoiding the question!"
"Sorry, I want you, of course, but I can't just give up the church," he sighed.
Assumpta snapped: "And why not?"
"Because, I can't let everyone down," he explained.
"But you can let me down, is that it?"
"Assumpta, it is not like that, and you know it!"
"Then what?" She shouted as the frustration surrounding the situation came back to haunt her once more. "Anyway what about yourself, huh? Don't you think you owe it to yourself to put yourself first for once?
"That's not what I have been brought here for. Now look what you've done," he sighed as the bickering had woken Kieran up.
"Me? It takes two to tango father, or had you forgotten that?"
"I'll go and see to the baby and then perhaps we can but this to bed once and for all."
"I'm leaving Leo," Assumpta announced as she joined Peter in the lounge.
"Are you sure about that?" He asked, bouncing the baby on his knee.
"Yeah, the marriage is dead, there is no point holding on to the past is there?" As she spoke her eyes were on the child, who had chosen to wrap his hand around her index finger.
"I suppose not," the man of the cloth said as he watched her coo over little Kieran.
"What will you say to him?"
"Well, that it's over, and that it isn't working out. We aren't the same people we were when we were at college. Happen we had our chance and now it's lost."
"How do you think he will take it?"
"Not very well but he will take it in his stride."
"What happens after?"
"One step at a time eh, you've got to get father Mac's work done, first."
"I suppose so. I can still see you though, in the meantime?"
She flashed him a reassuring smile. "Of course."
"I've missed you, Assumpta," he said kissing her on the cheek.
"Glad to hear it. Do you think I could use your bathroom again, I don't feel to cleaver?"
"You're burning up," Peter said, pushing her hair out of her face, so he could check her temperature. Do you want me to go and get Doctor Ryan?"
"No, I'll be fine, I'm just run down, is all. Now if you excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick."
She came back down the stairs looking much more like her usual self.
"I hope you don't mind I used your mouthwash."
"Not at all, how are you feeling?"
"Better," she smiled. "Right you, we better get you back to your mammy, hadn't we, we can't leave her alone at lunchtime, can we?" Assumpta said taking hold of Kieran and placing him in his pram.
"Thanks for coming, you take it easy now," he said cupping her face in his hands.
"I will try. I need to talk to Leo first before I can think about relaxing."
"Assumpta, I lov-"he stopped and looked at her, remembering how their previous conversation went. "I love you," he announced.
"Glad to hear it," she smiled, allowing him to seal his declaration with a tender kiss. "Come on, Fionn, we need to be going," she called out to her beloved dog. "Be sure to pop in for a pint soon, lord knows I will be needed the company once I've given Leo the elbow."
"Of course, take care," He said kissing the top of her head. As he did he drank in her scent, her faded red hair smelled of flowers and soap with hardly any indication she had been sick.