Free Kissing Maggie Silver by Sheila Claydon Page B

demanded Amy as soon as she opened her eyes.
    “More stories,” agreed Maggie, glad to be too occupied to worry about how she was going to cope with having to spend at least part of another day with Ruairi. She’d fallen asleep thinking about him and although she couldn’t remember the detail, she knew he’d invaded her dreams. Consequently she hadn’t slept well, and now she felt tired and stiff. One of her legs cramped as she stretched and she rubbed it hard. Then she settled down with the children to read the stories Sophie had chosen.
    Mark came into the bedroom sometime later carrying a mug of tea. He laughed when he saw the three of them snuggled together, the little girls wide-eyed as they listened to Maggie using different voices for the various characters in the story she was reading.
    “Look at you. I’m not sure who is enjoying it the most. It’s difficult to believe you are the grown up Maggie. A good job Ruairi can’t see you now or he might think he has three children to look after.”
    And that just about sums it up thought Maggie gloomily as she reached for her mug of tea. Ruairi does think he has three children to look after, that’s why he is being so long suffering. He’s being Uncle Ruairi to the three of us.
     
    * * *
     
    “Are you nearly ready Mum?” Ruairi tried not to let his irritation show as he waited for his mother to collect her handbag and summer jacket. After all there was no deadline. They weren’t in any sort of hurry, so why the impatience? It was Maggie of course. He wanted to see her again, and as soon as possible, and he couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about anyone before.
    He wanted some time alone with her too. He wanted to really get to know her again, to understand the grown up Maggie. Maybe if he did that then he would get things in perspective and break the spell she seemed to have cast over him. The problem was getting some time alone with her. There was always someone else around and because of the way things were with June and the baby it didn’t look as if that was going to change any time soon.
    He opened the door as his mother finally announced she was ready and led the way into the corridor. He glanced down at her. She looked so happy that he felt a bit ashamed it had taken Maggie to suggest she join them for the day; Maggie to realize how much she had enjoyed seeing the children at the hotel yesterday and follow it up. He would have carried on believing her when she told him she had plans to meet up with all her old friends and that he should get on with his own life while she enjoyed her holiday in her own way. Her obvious delight when he had passed on Maggie’s invitation, and the speed at which she had cancelled a proposed visit to a former neighbor so she could join them, had made him think long and hard, however. So had the newly stirred memory of his long dead sister.
    Although he barely remembered Colleen, he could remember his mother being sad for what had seemed to be a very long time. He’d always known, too, that his parents would have liked more children but that for some reason they couldn’t have them. Now he realized it was why they’d always kept an open house for all his friends. He recalled his childhood as they made their way to the elevator and remembered a house bursting at the seams with other people’s children as his parents did their best to make up for the fact that he was an only child. The memory made him realize how selfish he had become. Why had he not seen how sad his mother’s life was now she was alone? All she had were memories, and a son who rarely visited. No grandchildren, no extended family. No wonder she wanted to spend time with Sophie and Amy.
    He followed her into the elevator and listened to her plans for the day while it took them down to the underground car park. Nodding and smiling he directed her towards his hire car, half wishing he wasn’t also nursing an ulterior motive. Although he was