Free Putting Out the Stars by Roisin Meaney

front of her with half a scone on it. The butter pooled on its gently steaming
surface.
    Breffni watched her little daughter as she grabbed the half scone with both hands. ‘Mmm – yummy. What do you say to Granny Mary?’
    ‘Ta ta.’ Scone poised halfway to her mouth, Polly spotted the bowl of blackcurrant jam in the middle of the table. She stretched the scone towards Breffni. ‘Mama, dam.’
Breffni reached over and spread a little jam on the scone, and Polly immediately aimed again for her open mouth.
    Breffni looked sternly at her. ‘Small bite.’ Polly opened her mouth wider and lunged at the scone, sinking her tiny teeth into it and covering her cheeks with jam, watching Breffni
across the table. She looked so comical that Breffni had to struggle not to smile. ‘
Small
bite, I said.’
    Mary put a plate of warm scones and a little bowl of whipped cream in front of Breffni. ‘Live a little.’
    Polly eyed the bowl of cream and immediately stretched out her hand with the ravaged scone in it. ‘Me.’
    ‘Just a little bit.’ Breffni daubed a tiny blob of cream onto Polly’s scone before looking up at Mary. ‘You’re the devil in disguise; I shouldn’t be eating
this.’
    Mary put a knife on her plate. ‘Go on, there isn’t a pick on you; you’re like a model.’
    ‘Model my hat – but you’ve talked me into it anyway.’ Breffni split a scone and spooned a small amount of jam onto it. Then she added a blob of cream – might as
well be hung for a sheep – and bit in hungrily as Mary sat across from her and poured tea. ‘Mmm, gorgeous.’ She couldn’t diet this week anyway, with Laura’s dinner.
‘Oh, that reminds me, Mary. Would you be free to babysit this Thursday night? We’ve been invited into Limerick for dinner.’
    Mary buttered a half scone for herself. ‘I will of course, dear; I’d love it.’ She always stayed in their spare room when she babysat, leaving them very free.
    Breffni talked through a mouthful of scone. ‘You’re the best. I’ll have your room ready.’ She turned to Polly. ‘Did you hear that? Granny is going to mind you. What
d’you say?’
    Polly munched her scone, swinging her chubby legs. ‘Ta ta, Ganny.’

    Emily reached across the supermarket aisle and waved her hand in front of Cecily’s face. ‘You’re miles away.’
    Cecily blinked and turned towards her friend. She hadn’t been miles away at all, merely trying to decide on the evening meal. She’d thought about a prawn salad, but the prawns in the
fish shop hadn’t been very impressive, and they’d sold out of rainbow trout, her second choice. Maybe they’d have something here, although she normally avoided supermarket fish.
She smiled at Emily.
    ‘Hello, dear. Any news?’
    ‘Not since I saw you, unless you count pruning the shrubbery, which I spent all yesterday doing. I really need a new pair of gardening gloves; my hands are cut to ribbons.’ Emily
extended her well-manicured hands, which looked perfect to Cecily apart from a few tiny scratches.
    ‘How are you getting on with the new daughter-in-law? I hope she appreciates that handsome son of yours – not to mention the excellent board and lodging she’s
getting.’
    Cecily laughed. ‘Well, it’s hardly five star, but everything is going fine. Ruth is very easy to get along with really, no trouble. You’ll meet her soon.’ She paused,
struck by a thought. ‘I might ask her if she’d like to sit in on our next meeting – in fact, I’ll be hosting, so she’ll be around anyway.’
    Emily beamed. ‘Lovely.’
    ‘Yes, she’d probably enjoy it; she’s quite a reader.’ And why shouldn’t Cecily bring along someone new, since everyone else seemed to be at it? She kept her smile
in place as she watched Emily. ‘Have you noticed, by the way, how we seem to be growing in number lately?’
    And Emily said, as Cecily knew she would, ‘Ah yes – Dorothy’s man.’
    Cecily waited.
    Emily paused. ‘He was rather