But then, he’d also lose some things if he went there. Doctors with fine practices didn’t spend their days atcéilís, holding children and laughing with innkeepers. He would miss that.
The song ended, and Seamus hopped on a chair in the midst of them, calling all their attention. “Neighbors, we’ve a bit of an announcement from Thomas O’Connor. Lend him your ears.”
Mr. O’Connor stepped out in the center of the room but without climbing atop any furniture. “We thank you all for agreeing to this change of location. It’s been crucial that we were here, otherwise our secret project would never’ve been completed.”
Secret project?
“With so many in and out all evening, it proved the easiest thing to manage what we set out to do,” Mr. O’Connor said. “And with our local doctor being a favorite of the children, it proved even easier to keep him distracted.”
Ripples of laughter filled the room. Tavish nudged Burke with his elbow.
“What have you been up to?” Burke whispered.
“You’ll see,” Tavish said.
“It’s not quite three years since he came to live among us,” Mr. O’Connor said, looking directly at Burke. “And even if we took all night, we couldn’t list all the ways he’s helped us in that time. And even Seamus here, who we’ve no doubt spent a great deal of time kissing the Blarney Stone, could possibly find the words to express how grateful we are. We’ve been thinking these past weeks, and we’ve found a way to help you see that we appreciate you.”
Burke looked around the room. No one was offering any clues.
“Hop on over to your house,” Mr. O’Connor said. “You’ll find our offering there.”
A little nervous and more than a little confused, Burke made his way slowly from the room, feeling all their eyes on him as he went. He stepped out and walked down the porch. Those outside watched him with conspiratorial smiles. Apparently, the entire gathering was aware of this surprise, whatever it was.
He stepped inside his house. Nothing looked different. He hadn’t taken more than a single step inside the sitting room when he stopped in awe. Shelves had been installed precisely where he had eventually meant to put them. A long bench had been placed beneath the far window, just as he’d one day hoped to do. A small bookcase sat beside his favorite chair, with his books neatly set inside.
Aidan O’Connor stood not far from the door, looking sheepish and nervous. “I did my best to tell them what it is you’ve said you wanted. I hope I got it right.”
The boy had helped him any number of times there in the infirmary. Burke hadn’t realized he mentioned these improvements, but he must have.
“It’s perfect.”
Aidan breathed a sigh of relief. “It ain’t all, either. They’ve been working upstairs, too.”
Too shocked to even say anything, he made his way up the stairs. His first convalescing room looked much as it always did, but with a folded set of linens at the foot of the bed. He hadn’t any extra linens. These, then, must have been brought by the town.
He looked in the second room. A stool, bedside table, and water pitcher had been added. So had shelves along the wall next to the door. That would help him keep the room ready for patients. And, as in the first room, a folded set of extra linens sat at the foot of the bed.
Burke stepped into the last of his convalescing rooms. The bed that Mr. Campo had made and the mattress Burke had stuffed were in place, something he hadn’t managed to do yet. The bed was made, with a quilt spread over it and an extra set of linens folded at the foot. And, the room had a stool, a bedside table, and a water pitcher.
He didn’t even realize he’d told anyone exactly what he wanted in each of these rooms. But, somehow, they knew. Someone had heard, and someone had remembered. And they, on their own, had made a dream of his come true.
“You aren’t always good about accepting their gratitude,” Sophie said, having somehow stepped up beside him without him realizing. “I hope you will see this for the sincere expression it is. And I hope you will embrace it. You deserve it.”
He set an arm around her shoulders. “And I hope you embrace the freedom you have here and the joy it is to be your true self. You deserve that.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. He looked over the room once more, feeling emotion burn in his throat. He, the unwanted orphan who hadn’t ever mattered to anyone, had been given a tremendous gift.
That moment, no matter where life took him, would always mean the world to him.
Before Sophie’s arrival six weeks earlier, Burke had spent as much time at the Archers’ as he did at any of the other homes in Hope Springs. But lately, he was there almost more often than he was at his own house.
A few days had passed since thecéilíat which the town had surprised him with the remaining improvements he’d needed to make at his infirmary. He’d spent those days deeply pondering, and he’d finally reached a decision.
And so, he was at the Archers’ house. Sophie had been instrumental in helping him sort out what he wanted out of life. He wanted to share with her first what he had decided. Mrs. Archer was also there, and she needed to know, as well.
He was shown inside to where the Archer family and Sophie were gathered in the sitting room. He dipped his head to them all.
“I’m hoping to talk with Sophie.”
