The Bright One by Elvi Rhodes

would she ever be reconciled? If she were a good Catholic she would be. Perhaps in time it might happen.
    â€˜You can come again,’ Sister Teresa reminded her.
    Did she have any idea, Molly wondered, the difficulty she’d had to afford this trip? But of course she would do it again, somehow, sometime.
    â€˜And what about you, child?’ Sister asked Moira, with a smile. ‘Will you not follow in your sister’s footsteps, in the footsteps of our Lord?’
    Moira said nothing. She could think of few things she would like to do less than live here forever.
    Molly was amused by the look on Moira’s face. There, at any rate, was one child she’d never have to give up to the Church!
    All the same, Moira was thinking, one day, and that day not too far ahead, she would be back in Dublin. She was determined on it. It was her belief that you could get most things if you wanted them hard enough.
    In the train on the way home, they were most of the time silent, partly because they were tired, but also because they were absorbed in their own thoughts.
    Kieran was happy that he had seen Kathleen’s contentment in her new life. They had not talked much, but what they had said to each other, and even more the sight of her, had strengthened him in his own vocation. He looked forward more than ever now to starting his training. Less than four weeks to go.
    Moira was engrossed in planning how she would get back to Dublin, how soon. Would she get a job? What sort of job? Could she serve in a shop? Or a café? She didn’t mind what it was, just as long as she could earn enough money to live there. But how would she find out these things?
    Molly leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She was glad to have seen Kathleen. She’d been pleased to have seen Dublin, though she could never live there. Too dirty, too noisy. Not the convent, of course, that was different. Though she dreaded the short time which must elapse before Kieran left home, she was glad to be returning, looking forward now to seeing James and the twins.
    It was Breda who broke the silence, taking from her pocket and examining once again the small medal of Saint Francis which Sister Teresa had given her.
    â€˜â€™Twas lovely, wasn’t it? Everything was lovely. I like seeing places, but Kilbally is best of all!’
    It was dark by the time they reached Kilbally. The journey back had been every bit as slow as the outward one, just as many loadings and unloadings and, because of that, because of all the banging and shouting, even though most of it was good-natured, Molly had found it too noisy to sleep, though the girls had slept and Kieran had dropped off for a short time.
    Molly watched them and thought, guiltily, how lucky she was; these three here, Kathleen settled in Dublin, and her two lovely, rascally twins at home. Not to mention her lovely James. It was wicked to feel unhappy. She must not allow it.
    Kieran had been awake for some time when they reached Kilbally station, but the girls had to be roused, Breda to be shaken because she threatened to fall off to sleep again immediately. Neither James nor the twins were at the station to meet them but Molly wasn’t surprised. James was almost certainly out with the boats again and the boys had their own pursuits.
    â€˜Oh, I’m so tired!’ Breda yawned. ‘Give me a piggyback, Kieran.’
    â€˜Wouldn’t you be too old for that?’ Kieran teased.
    â€˜I am not. And I am not very big for my age,’ Breda said. ‘Isn’t everyone always telling me that?’
    â€˜All right then,’ he said. ‘Jump up!’
    â€˜What about me? Aren’t I tired too?’ Moira demanded.
    â€˜Then you must just put your best foot forward,’ Molly said briskly. ‘It won’t take long.’
    As they neared the house she could see that the lamp was lit, which meant Patrick and Colum must be home. If James had not gone on the boat he