Liam enthusiastically continued. “I hope to study abroad
there while at university. I’m thinking either Boston or
New York City or California.” I cringed at the mention of
Levi’s former home. Liam pretended to not notice. “Have
you been?”
“Oh, I went to New York once when I was little. I spend a
lot of time in Chicago, since it’s nearby.”
“Ah, yes, the Windy City!” Liam pointed his finger in the
air. “I’d love to talk to you about America sometime. And I
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will have you know that I do love Ireland, especially our fair
peninsula. I’d happily be your guide.”
“That would be great.”
Liam smiled at me, and I felt a flutter. “Grand.”
I found myself walking back to Gran and Gramps’s with
an extra bounce in my step. After supper, I wrote out my
postcards before bed and stared at the one for Levi for far
too long. I never overthought things with him. But I had
trouble figuring out what to say. Things had been tense
before I left. At first I was mad at him for ignoring me. Then
he came over and tried to kiss me. For a few seconds I
thought it was a dare from one of the guys, but I could tell he
was confused. So was I. I knew it would be best for us to
have a break, but it still felt weird to not write him. I
didn’t want things to be strained between us. If I wanted
things to return to normal, I needed to start acting like
everything was fine between us. And if it wasn’t, I would
fake it.
Dear Levi, greetings from Dingle (insert joke here)!
I’m sure I’ll have already talked to you by the time the owls have delivered this, but I wanted you to see where I’m spending the summer. Isn’t it beautiful? Wow, jeal-ousy really doesn’t become you. I hope things are going well with your American football practice (yes, I’ve already changed so much). I must now go back to the flat and use the lift and the loo.
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As they say in An Daingean, Sláinte!
Macallan
It took me nearly an hour to figure out how to sign it. Love would’ve been too charged, and anything else would’ve felt
calculated. Which was exactly how my cheers in Gaelic felt.
I gave up for the evening and let sleep take over. I had
the whole summer to fret about Levi, but for now I wanted
to enjoy a good night’s sleep before my sightseeing date
with Liam.
It took me only a couple days in Dingle to wonder why I’d
been resisting coming to visit the past few years. It wasn’t
that I didn’t want to visit my grandparents, but I guess I
thought it would be strange. However, it was anything but.
It was quickly becoming the best summer of my life.
I’d start every morning with a run or bike ride and witness
the green sprawling landscape, the jagged mountains, and
dark blue waters. I never thought my little Milwaukee sub—
urb was a concrete jungle, but compared to this, it was
Manhattan. I’d come home and make lunch for my grandparents, then either sit outside and read or go to one of the
restaurants in town and help out in the kitchen. I was determined to make “proper” fish ’n’ chips for everybody when I
got home. Or I’d go get some Murphy’s Ice Cream. Hence the
need for the daily run.
Or I’d hang out with Liam.
And it didn’t go without notice.
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“So” — Gran linked elbows with me as we went for our
daily stroll — “that Liam’s a nice fella. You two seem to be
getting on quite well.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. There wasn’t really much more to say
beyond that. We’d hang out and have a good time. He was a
nice distraction.
But I wasn’t kidding myself. Liam was cute and that accent
made him even more swoon-worthy. But I also knew the last
thing I needed was to complicate my life further by getting
involved with another guy. I didn’t even know if he liked me
that way. And if he did, it was probably because I was the
mysterious new girl from a faraway land.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Gran asked.
“I was thinking about how different my reception in Dingle
has been to when Levi first came to school.”
“How is Levi? You haven’t said much about him.” I studied
Gran’s face and found the same cheekbones and eyes as
Mom’s. I wondered if this was what Mom would’ve looked like
if she’d had the opportunity to grow older. “Macallan?”
“Oh, he’s fine.” We walked for a few minutes in silence. I’m
sure she thought I was thinking about Levi, but instead I
was thinking about Mom. How much she would’ve loved
being here with us. “Gran, do you think about Mom often?”
She stopped in her tracks, sadness overwhelming her delicate features. “Every minute of every day.”
“Me too,” I confessed.
“It’s important to remember her. She would’ve been so
proud of you, Calley. You look more and more like her every
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day.” She reached up and stroked my hair. “The worst thing