Page 70 of An Irish Hope

“That sounds like there’s something worth getting into,” Rory teased. “Don’t tell me. You’ve seen him again.”

“Seen whom?” Kara asked, as Aisling pressed her lips together.

Rory’s breath hitched. “You have seen him, haven’t you?”

“Fine. He works at the school I’m at.”

“No way. Are you serious?”

She nodded.

“And you’re only telling us this now?”

“I didn’t want this reaction,” she complained. “Besides, there is nothing to tell. He made that clear. Again.”

“Again?”

“Ash, looks like you’re going to have to fill in our girl Kara here with the details.”

Aisling did the best she could, picking careful truths like she might a bouquet of flowers. For while things might feel hopeless, still a stubborn tendril insisted that Andy was part of her future. Not that she could see how, for surely—just like she’d said last night—even if she did want something to work out, the mentor teacher boundaries made that hard to work around. And yes, Andy wasn’t her mentor, but there was a sense of propriety that needed to be observed. Which made things hopeless. She was bound to that school until June, which meant each week she’d likely see him, or hear his name, and those glorious moments from back in Derryloughlin when they’d felt so right singing together would slip even further away.

“So you want us to pray that he finally sees reason?” Kara asked.

“I’m so confused, I don’t even know what I want you to pray. Just that God would have His way. And that I’d be patient in the meantime.”

“We’ve been praying for Aisling to be more patient for years,” Rory teased.

Aisling laughed, but her sister’s words struck deep. There had been a lot of hard aspects of this, but she had grown up a lot in this past year, in these past few months. Which made her realise afresh that just because things didn’t seem to be working out the way she wanted, didn’t mean that God wasn’t still working. God had a way of doing more behind her back than she realised, and she suspected that whatever He was working on would result in those good plans that Mam had talked about.

Which reminded her: God’s plans were good, and just because her circumstances might feel wearying right now, it didn’t change the fact that there was so much to praise God about.

Like Kara and Colin’s special news. And Rory and Aidan’s shiny future. And even the fact that though teaching might be harder than what she’d thought she could still see how it felt like something that she’d been made for.

And the fact that God, all those years ago, might’ve crafted her and put her together with certain skills and talents and interests that could come into full bloom now, or at least bloom soon, took a load off. She didn’t need to strive or stress. She could just rest in God’s favour, knowing that God held her in the palm of His hand.

“It’s all good,” she said.

“What’s all good?” Rory asked.

“Actually, everything. Even the hardest of things. Because if we’re trusting that God loves us, then we know He really is working things out for our good.”

“Amen,” Kara said softly.

“Amen.” Rory nodded. “And that means with your man.”

“Even him,” Aisling agreed.

“So you can invite him to the wedding if you like.”

She nodded, even though December felt impossibly soon for true reconciliation. But still, trusting God meant there was no such thing as a perfect time frame. God did things when He wanted. Which might even account for the near-instant soul recognition that her father, brother and now Rory had reported when they’d first met their spouses-to-be.

Because knowing that God could work all things out for good meant it didn’t even really matter what the Fairall legacy might say about instant love and finding one’s soul mate. Not when God could steer that ship His way too.

* * *

The pounding on the granny flat door could only mean one person. Sure enough, Andy’s sister didn’t wait for an invitation, poking her head through the door.

“What are you doing still in bed?” Beth screwed up her nose. “It stinks in here.”