The Parting Glass by Emilie Richards

receiver.
    “Phil?”
    “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to speak to me.”
    She found a chair and tried to make herself comfortable. “Things are in chaos here, but we’re all right. I’m sorry you had to hear about it from somebody else.”
    “The Columbus Dispatch had a front page article. Kieran’s okay?”
    “Fine. We’re all lucky. Just cuts and bruises and one mild concussion. It was one of those freaky things. Lookout Avenue caught the tail of a twister. There were trees down all over the West Side, but it could have been so much worse.”
    “The paper says the saloon sustained the worst damage on the street?”
    “Let’s just say we won’t be serving Guinness for a while. Luckily it’s not a total loss. And since she has to close and renovate anyway, Megan’s swearing she’ll improve the place while she’s at it.”
    “Megan said you’re still planning to leave today.”
    “I am.” Peggy considered her next words but decided to go ahead. “I wish you could have come to say goodbye this week, Phil. Kieran will be a whole year older by the time we get back.”
    “Tanya’s been sick. I was afraid to leave her.”
    Tanya was Phil’s wife. They had married six months ago, and Tanya had wasted no time getting pregnant. Peggy wondered if Kieran was the reason for her haste—and continuing morning sickness. Tanya was young and insecure. Peggy had tried to find ways to assure her that Kieran was no threat to her marriage, but the message had never been received.
    “I’m sending an extra check to Ireland,” Phil said, when Peggy didn’t respond. “A good-size one. I know you’ll need some help getting settled.”
    Phil was as generous as he could be with child support, and that was one area where Peggy couldn’t fault him. He had little interest in Kieran, but he did take his financial responsibilities seriously. He was a fledgling architect with years of school loans to pay off, but he shared what he could.
    “I appreciate it,” she said. “I’m going to buy supplies for Kieran’s classroom once I get there. Whatever you send will go toward that.”
    “How is he?”
    Uncharitable responses rose to her tongue, but she overcame them. “He’s the same, Phil.”
    “Is he talking yet?”
    “He can say hi. But he’ll be talking up a storm by the time I bring him home.”
    “I’m sorry I couldn’t…you know.”
    She didn’t know. Couldn’t visit? Couldn’t love his beautiful, distant son? Couldn’t promise that he ever would?
    “I hope you’ll write him,” she said. “I’ll read him your letters, and I’ll put your photograph in his room.”
    “Sure. That’s a good idea. Please do that.”
    “Goodbye, Phil. Give Tanya my best wishes and tell her I hope she feels better soon.” She hung up, suspecting that Tanya would feel better the moment Peggy and Kieran’s plane took off for Shannon Airport.
    “I’m making coffee.” Megan stumbled into the room. “One cup or two?”
    “I’ll take a pot.” Peggy watched her sister wander the room trying to find her wits and the coffee filters at the same time. Megan was usually a morning person, but she’d used up a year’s worth of energy yesterday, and it showed.
    “Nick’s still doing okay?” Peggy asked.
    “His skull must be made of titanium. I woke him up all through the night like the E. R. doc told me to, until he said if I woke him up one more time he’d start divorce proceedings.”
    “A little edgy, huh?”
    “He claims he doesn’t even have a headache.”
    “It’s really something of a miracle, huh?”
    “Peggy…” Megan filled the glass pot with water. She turned off the tap and faced her sister. “I’ve got to tell you something. But only if you promise not to laugh.”
    “Any chance I can keep that promise?”
    “Maybe.” Megan seemed to realize she was clutching the pot of water to her chest. She turned and poured it in the coffeemaker and installed the coffee filter. “When we