I can remember our first official date like it was yesterday. I can smell her soapy scent, her glasses perched on her head and the kerry jumper she had wrapped around her neck. The smile that lit up her face. Her father's firm handshake and her mother's soda bread and potatoe scones.
If only I could blink and make the memories real again. If only I could spend one more day loving her, kissing every one of her freckles, curling up with Saffie and her after a long day, seeing their smiles find my face, hearing them laughing as I tickled them.
If only I had known that our forever would be stolen from us, stolen before we could celebrate our 3rd anniversary, our love gone before we could celebrate the birth of our second child.
If only...
~~**~~
"Gidday" the thick irish accent filled the phone.
"Hello, good morning would it be possible to talk to Keavy please" I bit my lip as not to laugh as I listened to the woman making fun of my accent.
"AJ"
"How did you know, wait a minute let me guess, not too many yanks call your house huh?" I teased.
"So I guess if you are calling you want a tour guide?" her voice was flirty.
"Yes, Howie has decided to lose himself in the church records, hoping to peice together his family tree"
"How fun" she mocked "Why don't I give you directions to my county and we can spend the day here. Antrim is a beautiful county, there is lots to do, I promise you won't be bored" her voice hung, leaving the promise dangling in front of me, waiting for me to respond.
"Keavy I am sure spending the day with you will be anything but boring" I took down the directions and shouted to Howie that I was heading out.
~~**~~
Her house was a plain, 2 story brick house. Sheep roamed freely, unattended across her land, her farm filled with acres and acres of barley and grain. I fixed my hair, and walked up to her door. Before I could psych myself up her face appeared, a wide toothed smile welcoming me to her house. "AJ, did ya find us fine?" she asked, taking my hand and dragging me into her house. The smell of potatoes overwhelmed me as I followed her down the cluttered hallway.
"Mah this is AJ, AJ this is my Mah, Mrs O'Carroll, Margaret to everyone, including you" she nudged me in the ribs "Don't insult her by calling her mam, she hates that and will probably clock you" she whispered and grinned as I tried to read her expression, tried to see if she was joking with me.
"So this is the yank, the boy who has caught my baby's eye" Her hair was pinned back severly but I knew where Keavy had gotten the red hair from, her mother's hair was the same fiery colour but now tinged with grey. She held out her hand and I accepted, bringing it to my mouth.
"JAYSUS MARY AND JOSEPH, he's a charmer Keavy, watch for him, he will likely try to catch a snitch in yer nickers if you don't watch him"I must have blushed because at that moment both Keavy and her mother burst out laughing
"Jaysus mah you tinkered with him, he's red" Keavy smiled "Sit down, noone can come into my house without sampling my mah's potatoe scones and soda bread" Her mother placed a thick peice of bread in front of me and watched me intently as I took a bite. It was heaven, the butter was thick and rich, the bread hot and crusty. Keavy caught my eye and winked. I had passed the first test.
~~**~~
"He is a fine man, his hand grip was firm, first sign of a real man is his grasp." Mr and Mrs O'Carroll watched as I helped Keavy into the car and waved, watching us as we drove off.
~~**~~
"So what you are telling me is that we are leaving the car here and touring the county with these?" I groaned, it had been a while since I had been on a bike and the last thing I wanted to do was make an ass out of myself in front of her. "couldn't we walk?" I suggested.
Kevy burst out into laughter "Unless you have a couple of days to waste I would suggest that you swallow your male pride and get that cute bottom on that bike"
I smiled, she liked my cute bottom. I climbed onto the bike and said a silent prayer that I wouldn't fall off of it.
~~**~~
"This is the Giant's Causeway" our bikes were parked against a tree and we were walking towards a huge, sprawling rock formation. There was miles and miles of hexagontal shaped rocks, piled on top of each other in uneven rows and heights. They were smooth to the touch as I bent down to touch them.
"The waves have washed the roughness off of them through the years." she explained.
"What is this?" I was amazed at this creation, this wonder of the world that had been hidden from me for so long in America.
"Folklore says that it was built by the fighters, the warriors as a shortcut from Antrim to Scotland. Scientists say that it was caused by volcano lava, that it hardened and caked and this is what was left."
I took her hand "What do you beleive?" I asked.
"I believe in fairy tales so I have my own theory. I believe that a soldier was homesick for his lover so he built this safe and quick path to her, it led him home to her, where she was waiting."
"I like your thoery better" and as I lost my hands in her wind blown hair I pulled her lips to mine and we shared a beautiful kiss, our first of many.
I can honestly say that as we stood there, the waves crashing around
us,
chilling our feet,her hair whipping madly around both of us,and her
hands
resting on my chest, I can say that I fell in love with her.
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