Assumpta Duncannon sat on the edge of her bed, in her trembling hand she held the last letter from her brother, Fergal, who had recently passed away. He had left a number of keepsakes to her from their childhood which brought back tears and also some chuckles as she looked through them.

Some old photographs of the three of them, Fergal, herself and the third wheel, their little sister, Orla, arms around each other, huge grins on their faces after some escapade that Fergal was always the ringleader of.

Tears welled up as she looked at the three of them, they had been so close, defending each other at school, always having so much fun together they hardly needed any friends, though they had had many back then.

''Oh, where did it all go wrong?'' she whispered sadly, stroking the faces on the sepia photo.

//
''Orla! Where are ye at woman, I'm waiting for ye, it's late we'll be!''

Orla gazed down at the three little faces on the photo and clutched at the letter in her hand.

''Me darlin' Orla, me little sister, there are no words to tell ye how much you have meant to me and how you have filled me life with such joy over the years. Now it's time to bid ye farewell until we meet again, I hope later rather than sooner eh?''

Orla chuckled despite herself-Fergal's Irish banter was legendary.

''Anyway darlin' girl, there is only one stain upon that joy, and you know what that is, your feud with Assumpta, I always wished for us three muskateers to be together again, alas 'twas not to be in my lifetime. I hope that one day you two will come together again. My last wish is that you go sit on our favourite bench overlooking the sea, you know the one and just think on what I have said, don't wait until it is too late. Now I have to leave ye, but I'm always around, keeping me eye on ye, so don't get pinching the neighbours apples again ok? Love you forever little Orla , goodnight for now''

Though heartbroken, Orla laughed at the memory of her scaling next door's apple tree and stealing every single apple for her Mammy to make apple pies, her favourite.

Sighing, she went downstairs to where her husband Declan was waiting, dressed sombrely as befitting the occasion.

''Do we have time for a short detour Dec'', she asked .

''We do if we leave now '' he took her hand and led her to the car.

//

Michael Duncannon sounded the horn again, he was a patient man, but where was she?
Just then he saw her coming down the path, his heart went out to her, her brother had meant the world to her, he knew, though she could be a fusspot, he knew she felt things deeply.

''Michael, I have to make a short stop on the way to the church, Fergal's wishes'', her eyes welled up again and Michael kindly said , ''Ok me darlin' we can do that for Fergal, grand lad so he was''.

He squeezed her hand and drove away.

Orla sat looking at the sea, this was a favourite spot where she and Fergal used to put the world to rights over a flask of tea and home-made cake. It was still and peaceful as always, she could hear Fergal talking as if he were next to her, she could feel him next to her, feel his hand in hers. She opened her eyes to leave and nearly fell off the bench, someone was sitting next to her holding her hand, but not Fergal- Assumpta!

Tears in their eyes, they didn't speak, both holding their treasured letters, identically worded, then as they walked arm in arm back to where their shocked husbands were waiting, they looked back at the bench and the inscription on it, ''The path is made by walking'' as they took their first steps.