He Came Back After Ten Years, but I Had Already Moved On
I was twenty-two when he left Dublin with one suitcase, a cheap navy coat, and a promise that distance would not make a coward out of him. We were standing outside Connolly…
We Shared One Apartment but Lived Different Lives
When Conor and I moved into the little apartment in Rathmines, I thought love would become easier because the distance had been solved. Before that, we were always crossing the city for…
The Last Person I Expected to Miss Was My Ex-Wife
I had not spoken to Maeve in nearly two years when she arrived at St James’s Hospital carrying my old navy scarf and a paper cup of tea I hadn’t asked for,…
She Loved My Dreams More Than She Loved Me
I met Clara in the upstairs room of a pub off South William Street, at one of those open mic nights where everyone is either heartbroken, about to be heartbroken, or pretending…
I Was the Backup Plan Until I Walked Away
I met him on a wet Thursday outside a café in Stoneybatter, both of us sheltering under the same narrow awning like Dublin itself had decided to introduce us. He asked if…
The Stranger Who Remembered My Coffee Order Every Tuesday
Every Tuesday morning, I used to get off the Luas at St Stephen’s Green and walk down towards Grafton Street with the same tight feeling in my chest. My mam had an…
Our Marriage Ended Long Before the Divorce Papers Arrived
I used to think a marriage ended in a solicitor’s office, with signatures and a woman in a grey suit sliding tissues across the table. Ours ended on a wet Tuesday evening…
The Night We Promised Never to Meet Again
I met Aoife outside Grafton Street on a wet Thursday evening, the kind of Dublin rain that doesn’t fall so much as wait for you in the air. We had already broken…
I Loved Him for Seven Years Without Saying a Word
I met him on a wet Tuesday outside Trinity College Dublin, both of us standing under the same too-small bus shelter, pretending the rain wasn’t coming sideways. He offered me half his…
The Woman Who Left Before I Learned Her Last Name
I met her on a wet Thursday evening outside Connolly Station, the kind of Dublin rain that does not fall so much as lean into you. I was standing under the awning…