“We’re going to have to get another one of these,” I said as I put it on.
“It’s the first thing on the list,” Noah replied, leaning down to kiss me again.
“What’s the second thing?” I whispered seductively against his mouth.
He groaned and drew away. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
I chuckled and climbed on the back of his bike, wrapping my arms around his waist and holding on tight. I twisted my neck, taking one final glance at the flames rising out of Ard na Mara. With a bit of luck, the ghosts that lingered in its walls would be obliterated, too.
“Good riddance,” I said, and Noah laughed huskily as he revved the engine, and we roared away. I didn’t look back as we sailed down the road and out of town. I might never return to this place, but I wasn’t sad about it. I was happy, content and full of hope for the future, whatever it might hold.
Epilogue.
Nine months later.
Warsaw, Poland.
I always wanted to travel, but I never thought I’d see so many countries in such a short space of time. The first place we went was Spain, where we joined Aoife and Jimmy who were on holiday there. It was great to see my friends, and since then, we’d been keeping in touch online as much as we could. Aoife was studying for a degree in art back home, and she and Jimmy were looking for a place to move in together.
After Spain came Italy. I adored the history and the food, the social way of life. Noah picked up languages so quickly he was almost able to converse with the locals as though he was one of them within weeks. It consistently amazed me, and there was the added benefit of him being able to teach me enough words and phrases to get by on my own.
Eventually, after sampling much of what Europe had to offer, we settled here in Warsaw. Noah’s friend, Tadeusz, had returned here several years ago, and was able to help us find an amazing apartment with a reasonable rent. Tadeusz was an interesting guy, and I saw how he and Noah got along. At sixteen he’d been sent to a young offender’s prison for trying to rob a bank with a fake gun. That’s where the two of them became friends, forming a special bond. He’d since cleaned up his act, and now ran a small café in the centre of the city.
Once the fire was put out, Vee sold the land that remained at Ard na Mara for a reasonable sum, splitting it three ways with Noah and me. She and Noah talked often on the phone, and I was glad to hear she was doing well. She’d gotten herself a small cottage and a job at a coffee shop close by.
I used the money from Vee to enrol in an online college course, since my Polish was still rusty, and there was no way I’d be able to understand college lectures at any of the universities here yet. So far, I loved being able to set my own timetable, engrossing myself in my psychology and philosophy of religion modules from the comfort of my own laptop. I sometimes emailed with Sister Dorothy, and she was always delighted to hear about my travels and the goings-on in my life.
Noah used his portion of the money to purchase a small storefront not far from Tadeusz’s café, which he was currently transforming into his very own furniture store, specializing in his favourite Twentieth Century designs. I was excited to help him with the grand opening.
It was springtime, and we wandered the streets hand in hand. I adored this city, a mix of old and new. It seemed like every style of European architectural design was present, from baroque and neoclassical, to gothic and renaissance. Then there were the Brutalist Communist era apartment blocks, harkening back to a time of severity. Warsaw had many intricacies, many contrasts. Every day I found something new to be enthralled by.
Noah cast me a sidelong glance, and I smiled. To look at us, you’d think we were a pair of young lovers without a care in the world. You’d never guess the horrors we’d run from.
Since we started on our travels, I learned so much more about Noah and his arrival into my world. He told me about his plan to return to Ard na Mara and reveal the truth about Victor, Sylvia and their friends. And Hawkins in particular. Hawkins had gone on with his life like he hadn’t just ruined someone else’s when he claimed Noah was the one to attack Victor and not the other way around. I had no sympathy for whatever hardships he was currently enduring. After serving eight years in prison, I understood Noah’s need for reprisal.