Family Portraits Read online

  Family Portraits

  JoAnn Aitken

  Austin Macauley Publishers

  Family Portraits

  About the Author

  About the Book

  Copyright Information

  The Gallaghers

  The Campbells

  The Gallaghers and the Campbells

  Gallagher, Gabriel Finnegan

  Gabriel’s Miracles

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  JoAnn Aitken has lived all her life in Hamilton, Ontario. She worked for many years at a local community college and has always enjoyed travel. A 2015 trip to Ireland brought together some ideas which became Family Portraits. She describes writing the book as “easy” once she got started. As the end of the story approached, she found it hard to let go. She hopes her readers will feel the same.

  About the Book

  After a sunset concert at the pavilion, they walked home by the harbor. Finn asked her to sit for a while with him, and then he declared himself. He took her hand and said, “Molly, my beautiful one, I have loved you from the time I moved into your family’s house. I can’t hold back any longer, and I am asking if you would consider being my wife.”

  Her eyes widened with surprise, and then she said, "I love you more than anything, and I want to be with you forever.

  Copyright Information

  Copyright © JoAnn Aitken (2019)

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

  Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  Ordering Information:

  Quantity sales: special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

  Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

  Aitken, JoAnn

  Family Portraits

  ISBN 9781643780092 (Paperback)

  ISBN 9781643780108 (Hardback)

  ISBN 9781645366713 (ePub e-book)

  The main category of the book — Fiction / Romance / Contemporary

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2019908442

  www.austinmacauley.com/us

  First Published (2019)

  Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

  40 Wall Street, 28th Floor

  New York, NY 10005

  USA

  [email protected]

  +1 (646) 5125767

  “Jesus, Finn…you fucking my sister on the supper table?” Ronnie leaned in the archway, eating a cookie.

  Finn straightened up with a start and quickly pulled himself together. He had been far away, lost in his young wife, transported by her warm breath on his neck and her whispered words of love in his ear.

  “What are you doing here? We didn’t expect you until late.”

  “I live here, Finn, if you will recall.” Ronnie popped the last bite of cookie into his month and headed for the stairs. “Just came home to change. I won’t be long.” He looked at his little sister who was covered up now and sat with her face hidden against her new husband’s chest.

  He felt sorry for his intrusion, albeit unintentional, and said as he started upstairs, “I know you’re married but three weeks. I’ll not say a word.”

  The Gallaghers

  January 1970

  Finnegan Gallagher was twenty-five years old, tall and extremely handsome, not that he noticed or cared. He was bright, well-educated, and well-traveled. He had studied for a year at Trinity College with the intention of becoming an engineer, but yearning to see more of the world, he left school and went to the continent of Europe.

  That was his real education. He was a great reader of history and geography books. He enjoyed studying atlases. Actually being in the places he had read about brought him deep satisfaction.

  Everywhere he went, he observed construction of some sort going on. Everywhere he saw cranes at work, and he decided to go to London to train as a crane operator. He figured that would allow him to travel pretty much anywhere, including Canada where he thought he might like to settle. He had an older brother, an engineer at a large Ontario steel mill, who had urged him many times to emigrate.

  Crane operating was perfect for Finn. He was calm and meticulous, responsible and moderate in his ways. He could take direction while, at the same time, possessing strong leadership skills. Simply put, he was a dream employee.

  In 1969, he returned to his childhood home of Killarney to stay with his mother who was terminally ill. He found a job, but after his mother passed away, he wanted to leave Killarney behind permanently. In November, he moved to Cobh, closer to the sea, closer to his goal of going to Canada.

  He immediately got an operator’s job at a ship building company and a room in a local boarding house. He liked the job, and his supervisor liked him.

  Unfortunately, Finn’s boarding house was filled with rowdy young men who liked to drink and fight. Finn himself lived quietly and frugally. He went to bed early. The nature of his job required that he be in the best shape every day; people’s lives depended on him.

  He kept to himself and didn’t go to the pubs. He spent a lot of time at the library and walked the countryside around Cobh. He looked to the west and tried to imagine himself in Canada. He hoped to fly out the following year.

  He was increasingly annoyed with the noise and ruckus at the house. One day in mid-January, the boys were drunk and out of control and threw a couch through the front window. Finn had had enough and talked to his supervisor, “Mac” McGuiness, asking for a suggestion as to where he might go.

  Mac sat quiet for a minute or two and then said, “Our Patrick got married not long ago, and his room is empty. Would you consider boarding with us? Of course I would have to talk to my wife, but I’ve already mentioned you, and I believe she will welcome you.” Finn was grateful and said so.

  The next day, Mac suggested that Finn drop by the house to meet his wife, Mary Frances, and see the room. Finn was optimistic and knocked on the McGuiness front door after work that very afternoon.

  A lovely young girl crowned with braids of shining strawberry blonde hair answered and said, “You must be Finn. I am Molly.” She shook his hand and called to her mother.

  Mary Frances was nice, the room was nice, and the deal was struck. Finn had found a new home.

  It was a happy home such as Finn had never known personally.

  Mac and Mary Frances were firm but loving with their children. They had three sons: Patrick, recently married to Eileen; Daniel, who worked at the shipyard; Ronald, the joshing cut-up, who drove truck for a company which made shipping containers. And then there was their adored baby, Mary Margaret, Molly. Molly was her mother’s assistant and helped with all the household chores in addition to attending secondary school.

  She was a capable girl, endlessly patient with her brothers’ incessant, good-natured teasing. But, when pushed too far, she could give as good as she got. Ronnie was particularly unrelenting, and legend had it that she had once chased him out of the house with a rolling pin in hand. She was so mature that Finn took her for about seventeen. She was, in fact, only fifteen.

  He was enchanted by her natural beauty and sweetness, and she was in silent awe of everything about him. Mac and Mary Frances watched in amusement the secret glances they stole at each other, always quic
kly averting their eyes when the other looked in their direction.

  “Can you feel the chemistry at the dinner table, my dear,” Mac asked Mary Frances. “’Tis a powerful thing indeed,” she replied. “But Molly is ten years younger than Finn, and he will be gone to Canada in little more than a year’s time.”

  “Love always finds a way,” Mac replied, “As you well know.” He patted her hand, and she laughed and gave him a kiss.

  “We shall see what we shall see,” Mary Frances said.

  By March, Finn could think of little but Molly. Only when he was working could he focus on anything else. In the night when he couldn’t sleep, he would mentally compose poems about her.

  A recurring image in those compositions was her beautiful big brown eyes. Sometimes he compared her to a playful puppy, other times a delicate fawn. He feared he was going crazy and more than once packed his bags in the middle of the night only to unpack them in the morning before he left for work.

  He finally recognized that he couldn’t carry on this way, and he talked to Mac. “I love your daughter, Mac,” he said, “and I’m asking your permission to court her with the intention of marriage.”

  Mac managed to keep a straight face. “I know no better man than you, Finn. But you’ll be remembering that Molly is only fifteen. And you are planning on going to Canada.”

  “I know she’s young, but she’s mature beyond her years. As far as Canada goes, I would be willing to put it on the back burner until she felt ready or abandon the idea altogether if she didn’t want to go. And if she doesn’t want me, I will leave your home and bother her no more.”

  “Well, boy, I know that I speak for Mary Frances too when I tell you to make your move. But please take it slow and gentle with her. She’s never had anything to do with the opposite sex, so she may be timid.”

  “I promise I will treat her like a tiny fawn,” Finn said, using his own imagery.

  When they had gone to bed, Mac told Mary Frances about Finn’s request, and she was delighted. “She thinks he is a miracle of wonderfulness.”

  Finn’s “tiny fawn” promise made her misty-eyed, and Mac thought to himself, That boy’s not going to have any problem. We’ve got a wedding to look forward to.

  After the dishes were washed, Finn went into the kitchen. “I’m going to the library to return some books. Would you care to walk with me, Molly?”

  She blushed. “I want to, Finn, but I’m working on an assignment I just can’t get. It’s about physics.”

  “I know something about physics,” he said modestly. “Maybe I could give you some pointers, if you would like.”

  “Oh, please,” she replied eagerly.

  “Well, get your textbook and the assignment, and come along.” And so she did.

  Finn had the ability to explain difficult subjects clearly and succinctly. He was impressed by how her nimble mind grasped the concepts. He was thrilled by her closeness as she bent over her notebook. He was intoxicated by the smell of her hair.

  The evening was a great success. She was enthralled. He was besotted. It was the first of many evenings, some spent at the library, some just walking together as the spring flowers came into bloom.

  She was unlike any girl he had ever known. She wasn’t vain or coy. She wasn’t needy or demanding. She had no agenda. She talked simply of her love for her family and the community where she had lived all her life. But she also expressed a curiosity about the rest of the world, a subject which forged another link in their unspoken connection.

  One night he invited her to see a movie. In the darkened theatre, he took her hand, and he held it until they got home. “You are very special to me, Molly,” he said softly and kissed her very gently.

  “I never dreamed I would know someone like you,” she replied.

  “Let’s talk some more tomorrow,” he suggested and she smiled and nodded.

  In the wink of an eye, it was mid-May. The wholesome little romance continued. Finn was exercising a great deal of restraint as he wooed her like a tiny fawn. It wasn’t easy, and he planned to propose to her as soon as he could summon the courage.

  After a sunset concert at the pavilion, they walked home by the harbor. Finn asked her to sit for a while with him, and then he declared himself. He took her hand and said, “Molly, my beautiful one, I have loved you from the time I moved into your family’s house. I can’t hold back any longer, and I am asking if you would consider being my wife.”

  Her eyes widened with surprise, and then she said, “I love you more than anything, and I want to be with you forever.” In his elation, Finn gave her her first real kiss and held her in his arms. “Now we have to tell your parents.”

  “My parents adore you,” she said. “Let’s go and tell them right away.”

  Mac and Mary Frances were watching television in the parlor. Molly said, “Mommy and Daddy, Finn has asked me to marry him, and I said yes. This is the happiest night of my life, and I hope you’re happy too.” They were.

  Finn said, “We agreed that Molly should finish the school year. That will be on June 15. With your permission, we would like to be wed the following Friday, June 22.”

  Mary Frances burbled with excitement, and Mac shook Finn’s hand and said, “Good on you, boy.” Finn uncharacteristically beamed with delight.

  June 21, 1970

  After meeting with the priest to talk about the next day’s details, Finn and Molly walked hand in hand on the pathway by Cork Harbor through the deepening dusk. Finn noticed that Molly was lagging behind a little and shortened his long strides. He looked at her and asked, “What is it, my dear?”

  “I don’t want to wait until tomorrow, Finn. I want to be yours now. There’s no one around.” It was a bold declaration for such a virginal young girl.

  “But we must wait until tomorrow. I’ll not take you in a hedgerow like a common trollop. It’s just not right nor worthy of you,” he said and gently pulled her forward in the direction of home.

  It was silent as they walked until she asked, “Do you think I’m awful?”

  He turned and faced her. “Awful? You can’t imagine how much I love you and want you.” With that, he pulled her into his arms. It was no sweet kiss this time. He kissed her hungrily, like a starving man, and she responded. He clasped her breast, and she gasped and shuddered against him.

  He forced himself to stop and backed away. She looked shaken, her lips swollen, all color drained from her face. “We’ll finish this tomorrow,” he said in what he hoped was a steady voice. “Now come along. I’ve got to get you home before I do something I’ll regret.”

  He led her home rapidly, mentally cursing himself for losing control. She kept up, dazzled by what had happened. She had never imagined such a feeling.

  On the porch, he kissed her gently. “Good night, my darling. This time tomorrow, our bodies and souls will be joined forever.”

  Then he hurried away. He was expected at the Fox and Fiddle for a couple of pints with Mac and the boys, but first he stopped briefly in the Silver Swan to compose himself. He was to spend the night at Patrick’s, a merciful blessing after all his sleepless nights pacing the floor, knowing that everything he wanted in the world was just across the hall.

  June 22, 1970

  The members of Molly’s immediate family gathered at the Cathedral in the late afternoon to witness her marriage to Finn. Although she was only fifteen years old, no one had any reservations. They all considered Finn to be a man without equal. As Ronnie put it, “Our Moll’s hit the jackpot.”

  Mac presented his radiant daughter to Finn, and in a few minutes it was done. Finn, a man known for his calm and dignified demeanor, was blatantly joyous and gazed at his bride with adoration. Molly clung to his arm and looked up at him worshipfully. They were all alone in the world.

  It was a beautiful day, and the family and some friends attended a small reception in Patrick and Eileen’s garden. Finn and Molly never left each other’s side until it was time for them to go.
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br />   The family members had made arrangements to spend that night and the next elsewhere. The house was theirs, and Finn scooped Molly up in his arms and carried her over the threshold. She giggled in delight, and he took her face in his hands. The passion of the previous night was now a raging conflagration.

  He led her upstairs to his room, and their magical journey had begun.

  The honeymoon went on and on, even after the family returned home. Molly’s innocence thrilled Finn beyond anything he had ever experienced.

  She had no hang-ups or attitudes; she made no judgments. She was open to anything he suggested or showed her. She was wildly responsive to him. He was a lost man.

  Finn was amazed that his love for her grew stronger every day. Molly was certain that, somehow, he was God. Not surprisingly, before long she was pregnant.

  Molly made the announcement at a family dinner in honor of her sixteenth birthday after her mother brought out the special cake she had made for the occasion.

  After the applause and congratulatory toasts, she sat on a sublimely happy Finn’s lap as he fed her forkfuls of birthday cake. This was the same man who, not so long ago, had been viewed by many as taciturn and aloof. A fifteen-year-old girl had changed everything.

  March 31, 1971

  Mac and his sons waited at the pub with Finn as Molly delivered their child. Her labor had begun in the afternoon, and Finn was a wreck, to the great amusement of the other men. They had never seen him like this.

  The last half of her pregnancy had been an emotional rollercoaster for him. Although his wife was young and strong, not gaining much weight and placidly carrying on with her regular routine right up to the end, he was filled with terror.

  When they lay in bed and he kissed and caressed her belly and she stroked his hair, he felt calm and in control of himself. Other times, he would wake up drenched with sweat from nightmares about something gone awry. He knew without question that he couldn’t live without her and flogged himself for being the cause of her potential demise.