The Twins' Party
Last Thursday, the twins turned nine. As usual, they had a huge shared party with all their friends, more of hers than his, because Frances is a social butterfly. I told them that when we made the list and Frances said, "What is Patrick?" Before I could answer, he said, "I'm an antisocial wasp."
"More a solitary bee." I said. He's not unfriendly, just not engaged with the world much.
We gave the twins bigger, better bikes and more grown up helmets than the ones they had before. We also gave them membership of the local canoe club, something they didn't know that we knew they wanted. Oddly, Emma's fears for them don't include water. She has always been certain that none of us will drown.
Patrick looked at the membership pack and then at me. "This is the first step to my big adventure." he said and for a moment, I saw how much he resembled my cousin Ronan.
"We're going to go all around the world." said Frances, "We're going to get motorbikes and go camping in all the wildest places we can find."
"Motorbikes?" said Emma, visibly paler than she was a moment before.
"Pedal power might be better." I suggested, "Or there are always horses."
Patrick took his mother's hand. "If you don't want me to have a motorbike, I'm never getting one." he said.
"Uncle Sean's got a motorbike." said Frances, "And he says he's only fallen off three times and twice he didn't even need to go to the hospital."
Emma looked as if she were about to faint. "Why don't you kids get some ice cream?" I said.
"Is Mum alright?" said Patrick.
"Mum's fine." I said, "It's just a very hot day." I led her away and said, "We have years to steer them away from motorbikes."
"And to sack Sean." she said in the odd, brittle voice that never quite makes it clear if she is joking.
"At least they have a sense of adventure." I said.
"All six kids have that." she said. "Why couldn't we have one timid one who just wants to stay at home and read books?"
"Patrick loves books." I said, "He was reading poetry by choice when he was five."
"Slap me if I ever seem to be smothering them. They deserve their adventure."
"Can't really do that." I said, "O'Connal men never hit girls."
"Well, give me one of those looks you give Richard when you think he's hanging around here too much." she said.
"I don't know what you mean." I said.
"You still think of him as a rival." she said quietly, "I have no idea why, because he married someone else."
"Yeah." I said.
"And do you think I'm going to suddenly change my mind and try to lure him away from her?" she said.
"No." I said, "I know you'd never do that."
"Then why is he so annoying to you?" she asked.
"He doesn't annoy me." I said, annoyed that I had to think about him, "I just know ... "
"Choose your accusation with care." she said, "Whether it's aimed at him or me."
"At you," I said, "But not in anger."
"I see." she said.
"Are you upsetting Mum?" said Bryony, coming over from the food.
"When do I ever do that?" I said.
"You'd better not." said Bryony, "You know she hates parties."
"Not your parties." said Emma, "I like those."
Bryony smiled. "You don't have to pretend with me, Mum. I know you'll be happier when it's over." She looked over to where Brendan was trying to reach some trifle. "I'd better help Brendan. He's going to tip that everywhere."
When she had gone, Emma looked at me again. "Go on, then. What do you know?"
"That no-one ever gets over you. No-one, friend or foe, ever stops obsessing over you. You can't help it and you don't promote it, but I don't care how married he is, a part of his heart is always yours."
She grinned. "O'Connal, you are a mad romantic and you think everyone else is too, but Richard is far too practical to moon around over me forever."
"Yeah, funny story, I once thought I was. I told Sean, 'It's fine to flirt a bit. I'm not about to fall in love.'"
"What did he say?" she asked.
I looked over to Sean, who was busily trying to steal a cupcake without Fiona catching him. "He said, 'You've fallen, mate. You're just too stunned from the impact to know it.'"
"Well, what does he know?" she said.
"Yeah. He's just mad. I'm the last person to fall in love with someone like you."
"And the last person I'll ever fall in love with." she said. She took my arm and leant in to whisper, "Ever."
"Why aren't I a twin?" asked Rhiannon loudly.
"We can't all be twins." said Emma, "I'm not one either."
"If I found someone born the same day as me, would I be a twin?" said Rhiannon hopefully.
Sean went over to her and said, "Sweetheart, you're what we call a limited edition."
"Is that good or bad?" she said.
"There will never be anyone quite like you." he said.
"Unless she makes an army of clones and takes over the world." said Fiona.
Rhiannon pondered that for a while and then said, "I don't think I'd use clones, cos then we'd all look the same and I wouldn't be the prettiest."
Emma crouched down and said, "Nobody will ever be prettier than you, my megalomaniac."
Rhiannon hugged her. "'Cept you, my Mummy." she said.
As she hurried away, I said to Emma, "She's the one we need to worry about."
"I was just the same at her age." said Emma.
"Yes, I would have put money on that." I said.
"More a solitary bee." I said. He's not unfriendly, just not engaged with the world much.
We gave the twins bigger, better bikes and more grown up helmets than the ones they had before. We also gave them membership of the local canoe club, something they didn't know that we knew they wanted. Oddly, Emma's fears for them don't include water. She has always been certain that none of us will drown.
Patrick looked at the membership pack and then at me. "This is the first step to my big adventure." he said and for a moment, I saw how much he resembled my cousin Ronan.
"We're going to go all around the world." said Frances, "We're going to get motorbikes and go camping in all the wildest places we can find."
"Motorbikes?" said Emma, visibly paler than she was a moment before.
"Pedal power might be better." I suggested, "Or there are always horses."
Patrick took his mother's hand. "If you don't want me to have a motorbike, I'm never getting one." he said.
"Uncle Sean's got a motorbike." said Frances, "And he says he's only fallen off three times and twice he didn't even need to go to the hospital."
Emma looked as if she were about to faint. "Why don't you kids get some ice cream?" I said.
"Is Mum alright?" said Patrick.
"Mum's fine." I said, "It's just a very hot day." I led her away and said, "We have years to steer them away from motorbikes."
"And to sack Sean." she said in the odd, brittle voice that never quite makes it clear if she is joking.
"At least they have a sense of adventure." I said.
"All six kids have that." she said. "Why couldn't we have one timid one who just wants to stay at home and read books?"
"Patrick loves books." I said, "He was reading poetry by choice when he was five."
"Slap me if I ever seem to be smothering them. They deserve their adventure."
"Can't really do that." I said, "O'Connal men never hit girls."
"Well, give me one of those looks you give Richard when you think he's hanging around here too much." she said.
"I don't know what you mean." I said.
"You still think of him as a rival." she said quietly, "I have no idea why, because he married someone else."
"Yeah." I said.
"And do you think I'm going to suddenly change my mind and try to lure him away from her?" she said.
"No." I said, "I know you'd never do that."
"Then why is he so annoying to you?" she asked.
"He doesn't annoy me." I said, annoyed that I had to think about him, "I just know ... "
"Choose your accusation with care." she said, "Whether it's aimed at him or me."
"At you," I said, "But not in anger."
"I see." she said.
"Are you upsetting Mum?" said Bryony, coming over from the food.
"When do I ever do that?" I said.
"You'd better not." said Bryony, "You know she hates parties."
"Not your parties." said Emma, "I like those."
Bryony smiled. "You don't have to pretend with me, Mum. I know you'll be happier when it's over." She looked over to where Brendan was trying to reach some trifle. "I'd better help Brendan. He's going to tip that everywhere."
When she had gone, Emma looked at me again. "Go on, then. What do you know?"
"That no-one ever gets over you. No-one, friend or foe, ever stops obsessing over you. You can't help it and you don't promote it, but I don't care how married he is, a part of his heart is always yours."
She grinned. "O'Connal, you are a mad romantic and you think everyone else is too, but Richard is far too practical to moon around over me forever."
"Yeah, funny story, I once thought I was. I told Sean, 'It's fine to flirt a bit. I'm not about to fall in love.'"
"What did he say?" she asked.
I looked over to Sean, who was busily trying to steal a cupcake without Fiona catching him. "He said, 'You've fallen, mate. You're just too stunned from the impact to know it.'"
"Well, what does he know?" she said.
"Yeah. He's just mad. I'm the last person to fall in love with someone like you."
"And the last person I'll ever fall in love with." she said. She took my arm and leant in to whisper, "Ever."
"Why aren't I a twin?" asked Rhiannon loudly.
"We can't all be twins." said Emma, "I'm not one either."
"If I found someone born the same day as me, would I be a twin?" said Rhiannon hopefully.
Sean went over to her and said, "Sweetheart, you're what we call a limited edition."
"Is that good or bad?" she said.
"There will never be anyone quite like you." he said.
"Unless she makes an army of clones and takes over the world." said Fiona.
Rhiannon pondered that for a while and then said, "I don't think I'd use clones, cos then we'd all look the same and I wouldn't be the prettiest."
Emma crouched down and said, "Nobody will ever be prettier than you, my megalomaniac."
Rhiannon hugged her. "'Cept you, my Mummy." she said.
As she hurried away, I said to Emma, "She's the one we need to worry about."
"I was just the same at her age." said Emma.
"Yes, I would have put money on that." I said.