Falling in Love in New York (5 page)

Finn Maguire was in a hurry and Lucy wasn’t helping. The ceremony was due to start at two-thirty and there she was, still lingering over lunch, not a care in the world.

“Luce, hurry up and finish that, will you? We’ll be late.”

Lucy looked up and with a barely imperceptible sigh, sulkily walked out of the room.

“Oh, come on–there’s no need to be like that, is there?” he called after her. “You know what the traffic’s like; it could take us an hour to get there.”

Actually an hour would be good going, despite the fact that they only had to travel twelve miles. But knowing the M50, the journey to the school in Blanchardstown could take that and longer. And he’d heard on the radio this morning that they were carrying out road works on the route which meant that they really needed to get going pronto, so Lucy acting up was the last thing he needed at the moment. 

He grabbed a jacket and stole a quick look at his reflection in the hallway mirror on the way out, realising then that he’d forgotten to run a brush through his hair and it was now sticking up in thick, dark clumps all over his head. Blast it anyway, Finn thought, trying to smooth it down, and thinking it was a very good thing that he and Lucy had to make themselves look presentable only now and again.

While she looked fantastic after a stint in the salon the day before, he was very definitely letting the side down, what with his sticky-out hair and a five-year-old suit that was crying out to be replaced. It was in fact a blessing that he’d even remembered to shave this morning, so unused was he to dressing up for formal gatherings like these. It had been what, a year, eighteen months since the last one? 

Having done his best with his unruly hair, Finn locked the front door and went outside to where Lucy was waiting patiently alongside the Jeep.

Now his heart melted at the sight of her downcast expression, and for the first time that day he reminded himself that even though this was a celebration, at the same time it might not be so easy for her. Maternal instinct and all that.

“Hey, I’m sorry for shouting at you, OK?” he said, unlocking the car and letting her in the passenger seat. “I was in a hurry and it’s getting late, and you know how I much I hate being late, don’t you?”

Refusing to meet his eye, Lucy settled herself on the front seat.

OK, so he wasn’t getting away with it
that
easily today, Finn thought with a sigh.

He started the engine, deciding he was probably better off just staying quiet and letting her sulk away to herself a while. She’d snap out of it–eventually.

They were halfway to the school before he spoke again; the traffic from Balbriggan to Dublin–much to Finn’s satisfaction–being pretty light for a Friday morning, road works notwithstanding. 

“I know these things can be hard for you Luce, hell they’re hard for me too in a way, but it’ll be a great day, and you should be very proud. This is what–the fourth of these things we’ve been to, and not one of our lot have ever failed to make the grade, have they?”

He glanced sideways at her to see if his words were having any effect, but Lucy continued staring straight forward, her gaze fixated on the road in front.                                                            

“I know you’ll miss them; I’ll miss them too, but they’re at the age now where they need to make their own way in the world. And they’ll be fine; you and I have made sure of that, haven’t we?”

But it seemed there was still no consoling poor Lucy today. Fully-grown adults or not, at the moment she was still missing her babies, although Finn knew that this would change once the ceremony took place, and she realised just how much they’d achieved and what a good job she and Finn had done in helping them get there.

“You’re the best – you know that don’t you?” he said, reaching across and touching her gently on the shoulder, wishing again that instead of nagging her to hurry up, he’d had the good sense to try and understand what she might be going through.  

Still there was nothing he could do or say now, he thought, pulling into the school gates. They were here, and judging from the number of people milling outside the main hall, the ceremony was just about to begin.

“Finn–up here! I’ve saved a seat for you!” As he and Lucy entered the hall, Finn looked up to see his colleague Angela waving at them from the front row.  

Ignoring a deep sigh (for some reason Lucy had never really taken to Angela), he made his way through the crowds to where she sat.

“Hey,” he said, taking the chair alongside her. “Thanks for that. Busy here today, isn’t it?”

“It sure is. Did you two get a chance to see the guys beforehand? Are they all really excited?”

Finn fixed her with a look and muttered out of the corner of mouth. “No, I always think it’s better for Lucy that we don’t.”

“Oh, of course, silly me.”  She looked apologetically at Lucy, who again steadfastly ignored her. “And I suppose we don’t want them getting too excited either do we?”

“No.”

Evidently sensing some tension, Angela sensibly decided to change the subject. “But don’t you scrub up well!” she said, flashing Finn a flirtatious grin. “Great suit.”

“Thanks,” Finn self-consciously loosened his tie. “Em … so do you.”

Angela did indeed look well in a clinging black dress with a disconcertingly low neckline that Finn wasn’t entirely sure was suitable for the occasion. Still, what did he know? His fashion knowledge extended to his work attire of mostly jeans and T-shirts, and as social outings were pretty much limited to occasions like this or the odd night out in the pub, he couldn’t really comment on whether or not Angela had got it right. Women like her were a bit of an enigma as far as he was concerned.

“Thanks–and I’m so glad I remembered at the last minute to wear waterproof mascara.”

“Waterproof mascara?”

She opened her handbag and took out a small packet of tissues. “For the ceremony of course. I always end up bawling at these things, don’t you?”

But Finn had no time to reply, as just then a voice he recognised as Brendan O’Sullivan’s spoke softly through the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to welcome you to what is always a hugely important event in our calendar. Today’s graduates have studied hard to get where they are, and are now ready to tackle any challenges the world throws their way. We’re gathered here now to celebrate their achievements, and to set them on the road to even greater things.” He paused and looked to his right, before smiling. “I’m going to introduce them to you now, but for the benefit of those members of our audience in attendance for the first time, can I remind you not to applaud for fear of upsetting or unsettling them.”

Finn nodded approvingly at this. Brendan had forgotten to make this announcement last time, and the applause had really distracted some. 

“So without further ado, I’d like to introduce to you, in alphabetical order– ” As Brendan began calling out the names, Finn laid a gentle hand on Lucy’s head, “Marie, Maisie, Martin, Michael, Michelle, Molly and Morris!”

When the first one appeared, there was a brief clap from someone who’d obviously forgotten Brendan’s earlier warning, or who’d got so carried away by the sight of the graduates that they couldn’t help themselves.

And, Finn realised, there was also a brief whimper from Lucy who obviously recognised her ‘babies’ and as each walked on in turn (and to his great relief) she moved her tail every so slightly, until eventually when all three had emerged, she stood up on all fours and wagged it effusively.

Lucy and Finn watched proudly as Marie, Michelle and Morris–the ones they’d come here to see–one-by-one turned and quietly stood to attention alongside their fellow graduates.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Brendan continued with a flourish. “I’m delighted to present to you the Leinster Guide Dogs Trainee class of 2008, now fully qualified and today to be officially presented to their new partners for which all of us here at the training centre hope will be a long and mutually fulfilling companionship!”

“Well, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

Once the official graduation ceremony was over, Finn attached Lucy’s leash to her collar, and went outside to where the newly inaugurated guide dogs were chasing and wrestling with one another on the grass, their ex-trainers and their proud new partners surveying them from the sidelines. Now off duty, the younger dogs were making the most of what would probably be their last few hours together as a group, before each in turn went home with their visually impaired partners.

It was a wonderful day and a true validation of the work that Finn and his fellow trainers at the Leinster Guide Dog Centre carried out from year to year. There was nothing more satisfying than taking a seemingly mischievous puppy and grooming it to become a worthwhile and essential aid to the visually impaired.  But while Finn, like most of his colleagues at the centre, had a huge affection for each and every dog they trained, he also had an additional attachment to some, in particular the ones that Lucy had given birth to. A retired assistance dog of some years, Lucy’s even temperament and incredible intelligence made her an ideal candidate for the centre’s breeding programme, and she’d so far produced three different litters who had gone on to become model trainees.

Her earlier sombre mood now greatly improved, Finn released Lucy from her leash and she raced off to join her offspring, while he went to speak to the adults.

There was no need for introductions as Finn recognised pretty much everyone from the four-week intensive ‘class-training’ programme the centre held, whereby each dog was matched with a potential partner in order to make up a successful guide dog team.

“Hi everyone. Enjoying the day?”

“It’s fabulous,” Melanie, a partially-sighted woman in her mid-thirties who had been partnered with one of Lucy’s offspring smiled in the direction of the dogs. “They seem to be enjoying it too.” Now Lucy was lying on her back with all fours in the air, happily letting the other dogs climb all over her. “That’s your dog, isn’t it? Michelle’s mum?”

“Yes it is.”

As Lucy only attended the centre throughout the breeding programme and for a brief period after giving birth, she didn’t have much contact with the dog’s eventual companions, except on days like today.  Normally, she stayed at home with Finn, who as well as being a qualified guide dog trainer also acted as a puppy raiser for some of the potential trainees–usually Lucy’s. When the pups were about nine weeks old he brought them home with him for a while to help socialise and get them used to their environment, teaching them good behaviour and manners as well as get them used to living indoors, something they needed to do should they eventually be suitable as guide dogs.

“She’s gorgeous, and obviously knows how to put them in their place!” She and Finn laughed as Lucy nipped one of her charges for being too overzealous in his energy. “Brendan told me she was a working dog herself once, but she seems very young to be a retiree?”

Finn sighed. “She’s six, but was only three when we had to retire her. Halloween fireworks,” he added in a flat voice when Melanie gave him a questioning look. “The noise frightened her so much, it rendered all of her training useless. She was only on the job for a few months.”

“Oh no, what a shame.”

Finn nodded. It was a crying shame, and was happening more and more as time went on. He sorely wished that the parents who were stupid enough to buy illegal fireworks for their little darlings could be around to see the damage they caused. If they could only experience what he had; the sight of a terrified dog shaking and cowering in a corner and refusing to eat for days it would be more than enough to make them change their minds. Or would it? Finn didn’t know. He didn’t have a whole lot of faith in human decency anymore, which is why he spent all his time working with animals.

Finn had been Lucy’s original trainer and the two had always shared a special bond right from when he’d first brought her home to raise as a puppy, to when he’d eventually handed her over to her new partner at a graduation ceremony just like this one. Then, when the incident with the fireworks occurred and Lucy’s partner applied for a new dog and didn’t have the space to keep her too, Finn decided to take her in. Guide dogs worked for an average of eight years and while the centre often had a policy of finding retirees a loving home when their partners couldn’t keep them on, Finn knew that he couldn’t part with her again–especially given what she’d been through. And although there was no possible way she could be re-trained, in time he managed to coax the frightened Labrador out of her anxieties and bring her back to the intelligent, loving companion she was.

Now, watching Lucy play happily with her equally clever and talented offspring, Finn was reminded of the comment Nora, one of his elderly neighbours had made recently, when she was (yet again) teasing him about his single status.

“Honestly Finn, you’ll never find anyone as long as you keep that big, hairy mutt around!”

And Finn thought to himself now, as he had then, why on earth would he want to, when Lucy was possibly the only female on the planet who hadn’t let him down?