5 Peppermint Grove by Michelle Jackson Page A

before he met her so maybe they’ve done it the right way round after all.”
    “Have you heard from Lydia?”
    “Not since I emailed you – did she agree to meet you while you are home?”
    Michael shrugged. “I haven’t heard from her.”
    Julia said nothing. She worried that her brother was the one who was in for a surprise. Lydia had changed in the last few weeks and was oozing with a confidence that her new boyfriend had instilled in her. But still Julia wanted her brother home and was going to do everything in her power to bring the two together. If she left it to him, he would make a mess of it and, well, Lydia didn’t really know what was best for her either. She would be doing them both a great favour.
     
    Chapter Twelve
     
    It was Christmas Eve. Ruth looked down at the text on her phone.
    Flight delayed kitten c u aft xmas xx Ian
    Ruth had thought that seeing him would help her get through the next day but it proved too much to take now.
    Thank God for Julia, she thought – she was the one constant in her life.
    “Ruth, are you sure you won’t come down with us to Kerry?” Angela called up the stairs. “You won’t see Kevin and the kids before he goes at all now!”
    Ruth sighed. She had been through this so many times with her mother. Her main reason for staying had been to see Ian but still she would rather spend the day with her best friend.
    “Honestly, Mum, I’m fine!” She called back down. “Are you staying Stephen’s Day too?”
    “That depends on how we all get on, I suppose – you know how Orla can be!”
    Ruth knew how Angela and her daughter-in-law could be together and that the Christmas festivities could go either way!
    But she also knew that if Ian managed to pop out of his house on Stephen’s Day, she would want to be in Dublin to see him. Since moving back in with her parents it had been difficult to see him but he had been making less effort too. Maybe going to Australia would help her gain a proper perspective on her life.
     
    It was to be the warmest Christmas for thirty years according to the weatherman on the Nine O’Clock News . Julia heard the door slam followed by Michael’s heavy footsteps on the wooden floor.
    “You’re home early!” Julia said.
    “Yeah, there weren’t that many in the summit. Actually, change that, it was packed – but there weren’t that many over twenty-five.”
    “I thought you’d have liked that!”
    “Ha ha, no need to be so sarky, sis. That was in the past – I’ve changed!”
    Julia wondered if a leopard ever did change his spots but Michael was definitely different to the brother that was home two years ago. She wondered what had brought about this epiphany. She would have to find out over the next few days. After all, he wasn’t going to be home very long.
    “Any word from Lydia?” he asked.
    “I told you that she was going down to Waterford to be with Peter’s family before Christmas.”
    “But it’s Christmas tomorrow.”
    “Yes, and she’s driving up in the morning to spend the day with her parents.”
    “Then I suppose Peter will be coming up too?”
    “I didn’t want to ask. Look, Michael, I told you I would do everything I could – I’ll ring her tomorrow like I always do on Christmas Day and maybe even invite her out. So we’ll know then, okay?”
    Michael sat down in the chair that their father used to always sit in.
    Julia could see vulnerability in him that wasn’t there before.
    “I always feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t when I sit in Dad’s chair!”
    Julia knew what her brother meant. “Are you okay?”
    Michael shook his head. “All of my mates are married and they can’t even go out for a pint without their wives’ permission.” He sighed. “I heard in the summit that Barry Horgan has moved to Sydney.”
    “Isn’t he married?”
    “Yep, and he has twin baby girls. Moved lock, stock and barrel last October.”
    “Yeah, well, a lot of people have moved away – if it keeps