A blue van meanders over twisty roads, in and out of sun and shadow, as white clouds scud across the blue sky.

The van is now travelling through narrow streets, and eventually pulls up in front of a pub. A woman comes out the front door, hops into the passenger side seat, and closes the door. The view shifts to the interior of the vehicle, and Maggie MacAllister turns to smile at Assumpta Fitzgerald.

"Hi, Assumpta, it's so good to see you!" Maggie leans forward to give her passenger a quick hug. "Let's go, Fionn needs to empty the tank after his long drive." She is smiling broadly as she turns, signals, and moves the van out into traffic. Assumpta twists in her seat to reach into the back and pet Fionn, who is sitting up and smiling himself, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his tail waving wildly behind him.

The scene shifts again to a parklike-setting, with a long sweep of open grass, a treeline visible downhill. Several blankets are spread on the grass, with open hampers visible. A small girl and a slightly taller young boy are running in large circles around several adults seated on the blankets. The view comes in closer, and the conversation becomes clear. Niamh is speaking.

"So, are you going to call him?" She is clearly eager, ever the matchmaker for her best friend.

"Ah, Niamh, get real!" Assumpta answers her with a wide grin. Brendan and Padraig guffaw loudly, earning quizzical looks from several of the picnickers. Assumpta smiles, "Ya had to be there," she responds.

"But why not?" Niamh asks. "Surely enough time has passed, all the divorce paperwork with Leo is final, neither of you lives in BallyK anymore, and if he moved to Dublin there'd be no scandal, almost nobody would ever know, and those of us who did would be happy for you!"

"I know," Assumpta answers her, "but Niamh, he's still a priest, and even more committed to the Church now than he was!  He's in charge of a whole parish now, and if he still had doubts about being a priest, he'd never be moving up in the heirarchy!  He must be really gung-ho, really toeing the line with the Bishop, to be getting promoted."

"Well, he certainly seemed very pastoral and religious when I was observing him these last two days. Though I have to tell you,
Assumpta, I thought he was going to break down and cry when he saw your portrait on the wall!" Maggie says, "It's clear he still carries a torch. Do you want me to draw him out, try and see what he's thinking?"

"Oh, God, NO!" Assumpta shakes her head violently. "No, that part of my life is over. I'm past it, over Peter Clifford. I can't take the indecision again, the 'does he, doesn't he' worry. He told me he loved me more than the Church, then, when he had to choose, he chose the Church again!  He KNEW I would never want the Last Rites, almost the first night he was in town and I had to drive him out to that farm, we talked about it. He said he'd do the same for me, and I asked him if he'd come anyway, knowing he wasn't wanted. He told me that maybe I couldn't speak for myself at the time, went on about it, but I know he knew I would never have agreed to have the Last Rites done to me!" Assumpta is clearly adamant, and Maggie leans forward,
concern on her face.

"Okay, don't worry, I won't ever bring up the subject with him. If he brings you up, I'll feign total ignorance, though I have to admit, I'm still happy with the work I did on that, I never tried anything that hard, but I pulled it off, with a lot of help from you all!"

"An' it doesn't hurt that your cellar was dark as an auld well, Assumpta!" Padraig states. "I just wish it had all gone right
according to plan, I coulda' used the money Maggie'd a paid me for doin' the rewirin'!  Instead Brian did for himself. Ah, well, it's all water long under the bridge now, isn't it?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"If you had still been in the village when I did take over, I'd have had you do it, Padraig. Instead Donal and I had to do it, he made sure it was all up to code, and I handed him the tools as he went along. Liam was certainly no use!"

"DONAL!" Niamh, Sean, Padraig and Brendan all manage to say the name at virtually the same time.

"Yeah, Donal!" Maggie tells them. "You all think that just because he's quiet and a little shy, and doesn't always have a glib line
rolling off his tongue, that he must be stupid. Nope, he's always been socially inept, probably has a low self-esteem problem from getting teased when he was a kid, but he's quite bright and handy, and he's really good with animals!  You should see how well he gets on with the wild things, I think, with a little work, he'd have birds eating out of his hands. He's a wizard born, if he only knew it!"

"Ah, now, do we smell romance in the air?" Siobhan gently teases Maggie, while Assumpta and Niamh smile broadly. Padraig, Brendan and Sean Dillon are clearly skeptical.

"Oh, Siobhan!" Maggie answers, "I'm old enough to be his mother!  Besides, I'm happy as I am! Remember, a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle!"

"Aaaaack!" answers Sean, while Brendan throws a crumpled paper napkin at Maggie.

Everyone laughs, several take sips from bottles of beverages. Sean and Brendan stand up and go in search of Kieran and Aisling, who have wandered a little too far off with Fionn dutifully in tow.

Maggie glances up. "They aren't far, Fionn doesn't move that fast any more, and if he thought there was a problem or they were too far from us, he'd either start barking or just sit down and plant it!"

"I know," Brendan answers, "but I don't want to have to carry Fionn back if he's too tired, either."

"He's aged so!" Niamh says to Siobhan and Assumpta.

"He has, that." Siobhan answers, "the congestive heart failure is taking a toll. Maggie, you're taking excellent care of him, I know we've discussed medicines and diet, but nothing will keep him alive forever."

"Nothing will keep any of us alive forever!" Maggie answers. "I am doing my best, Assumpta, really I am!  I've lost almost everyone I ever loved, pets and family, believe you me, if I could cut off my right arm and heal Fionn's heart, I would. But nothing I can do will help. Again, I have to watch someone I love die, and stand by, helpless." Maggie's face is stricken, memories of loss are written on it, and Assumpta realizes with suprise that Maggie might well be old enough to be Donal's mother, after all!  She reaches out and takes Maggie's hands in hers.

"I know you are doing everything for Fionn that anyone could, Maggie. He wasn't a puppy when I got him, he's got to be over ten by now, or even older, we can't be sure. His heart problem isn't your fault, and he is happy and loved and not suffering, nobody could ask for more!" Scooting closer, Assumpta hugs Maggie.

"Thanks, Assumpta," Maggie hugs her back, "it's just so hard to lose another friend. When Fionn goes, I'll be all alone in that pub. But hey, business may pick up again, if Peter Clifford can manage to divert Kathleen Hendley's attention to more productive pursuits!  And I can get busy with my craftwork again, Bella Mooney says she can sell all I can make up there at St. Brigid's. And I really need to get out to Danny's place and ride more often, although Horse-Boy is happy enough out to pasture with Danny's Razor. He'd be happy to never feel the underside of a saddle again, the lazy old thing!"

"So, how is Eamon doing?" Assumpta asks.

Niamh answers, "About as well as can be expected. Danny goes to visit him, Emma says, but he only knows who Danny is about half the time. The doctors say that he'll have another stroke one day, and it'll all be over. I don't know how Danny does it, running the farm and paying for Eamon's hospice care as well!  I wonder if he'll want to keep it up for much longer?"

"I hope so!  I don't want to have to board my old guy at a stable, he deserves a good pasture and sweet grass for the rest of his days!" Maggie answers. "Besides, isn't Emma coming back to Ireland after her schooling is over?  I thought she wanted to help Danny manage both the Byrne holdings and the Dillon land."

"I don't know, she might fall in love with some other handsome lad any day, and forget Danny in an instant!" Niamh tells the group, which by now includes Brendan and Sean, both holding tired youngsters in their arms. Children are handed over to their mothers' care, and Fionn settles down between Maggie and Assumpta, while dads settle next to moms.

"No, I don't think so, I think Danny and Emma are a couple for life," Maggie offers. "They complement each other well, and besides they are just SO cute!" Maggie smiles.

"They are, that!" Sean offers, "though I had my doubts at first."

"I'll say you did!" Niamh interjects, "I thought you were going to kill him that day after they got stuck in that hut on the mountain overnight!"

"Well, my temper isn't *always* perfect, I know," Sean answers his wife.

"Ah, you're a big teddy bear, you are!" and Niamh leans over to give Sean a quick peck on the cheek. "I hate to say this, Assumpta, but we need to get back to the hotel and let Kieran have a good nap, because we fly back to London tonight!" Niamh sighs. "I'll get over more often now that Kieran's getting older, so we can keep in touch!"

"Let me know when you're coming, Niamh, and I can bring Aisling along so the kids can play!" Siobhan asks. "We can sit in your wine bar and chat, Assumpta, just like old times!"

"Oh, that'll be grand!  Things are quieter there, and I'm not run off my feet like you lot--" Assumpta stabs a finger at Brendan and Padraig "--used to do!" They chuckle together, the feeling of good old friends is clear amongst them. In the background now, Maggie smiles, stroking Fionn's silky coat.

"Well, Assumpta, I'll run you back home and head back to BallyK, then." Maggie stands up, and begins to fold the blanket. Padraig helps her, then Brendan, as Assumpta helps Sean fold a couple more blankets. Niamh and Siobhan soon pass sleeping kids to their dads to carry, and pick up baskets. Assumpta bends over to help Fionn to his feet, her back is turned away from the parking lot, and her long auburn hair hides her face. Maggie smiles, Assumpta's hair is only a bit darker than Fionn's, and woman and dog make a classic and picturesque pair.

Suddenly, from the parking area, a familiar voice to many calls out, "Hey, you lot, did I miss the party?" Maggie and Assumpta both blanche pure white as Peter Clifford, having spotted first a familiar car, and, pulling over to hear familiar voices, steps out of Fr. Mac's old car, closing the door, and walks towards the group!