The Song of the Sea by Jenn Alexander

Author:Jenn Alexander [Alexander, Jenn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612941523
Publisher: Bywater Books
Published: 2019-05-15T04:00:00+00:00

• • •

Lisa was bundled up in her jacket and walked down the road toward O’Leary’s, the pub where she’d met Rachel for the ceilidh. Snow came down in fat flakes, the first real snow of the year, a heavy, wet snow that clung to her eyelashes. She usually made it a point to not drown her sorrows out of fear she’d never resurface, but for one night she wanted the escape that a few beers could offer.

She pulled open the door to the brick building, instantly greeted with warmth and upbeat Celtic music— a recording this time, not a live band. The bar was mostly empty, with a few patrons playing pool in the corner or sitting at the bar sipping on drinks.

“I’ll have a Guinness,” she said. The dark, frothy brew was exactly the type of liquid comfort she wanted.

“Coming right up.” The bartender poured the beer into a mug from the tap. He set the beer in front of her, and she pulled the mug toward herself with both hands.

She closed her eyes as she took the first sip.

She had worked so hard on those sketches. Anger bubbled inside of her, which she tempered with another sip of the beer. She didn’t understand how Natalie could tell her the work wasn’t personal enough. She had poured her heart into each of those images. It was the most personal work she’d ever done.

She took another sip— longer this time.

She wanted to drink as much as it took to fill the void in her chest. She knew there was no amount of alcohol that could fill it, but she was determined to try.

As she neared the bottom of her first beer, she heard the door open and she instinctively glanced over, meeting Rachel’s eyes.

“Lisa?” She saw, rather than heard, Rachel ask.

She lifted her hand in greeting.

Rachel stood for a minute as if unsure what to do before coming over to where she sat.

“Is it all right if I join you?” Rachel asked.

She nodded and signaled for the bartender to pour another round— one for each of them this time.

Rachel took off her coat and hung it on the back of the bar stool. Lisa tried not to notice the snug fit of the white knit sweater that clung perfectly to all of her curves.

“Is Declan with his dad this weekend?” she asked.

Rachel nodded. “He actually showed up this time.”

“That’s good, right?” She was uncertain, given Rachel’s tone, which held more bitterness than relief.

Rachel shrugged. “Declan’s happy. But when he comes home, I’ll be the mean parent and it’ll be a few rough days. And next time, most likely, he won’t show up, and Declan will be crushed. It would be easier if he’d just stay gone, you know?”

“I’m sorry. Declan deserves so much more.”

“Yeah,” Rachel said, her voice small.

She watched as Rachel stared down into the dark beer, curls falling forward around her face. Lisa wanted to tuck those curls back behind Rachel’s ear, brush her hand across Rachel’s cheek, and somehow make the ocean in her eyes less stormy.

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