St Andrew and the Long Table

Glasgow, 1969. Rose McCall never expected to stay. She came to Glasgow for work, planning only a season, but seasons became years. One night, after a crowded supper with friends squeezed around a long table, she noticed an old silver spoon resting by the sink. Its handle bore a single apostle, St Andrew, worn smooth by decades of use. Local lore said such figures watched over gatherings, blessing shared bread and conversation. Rose liked that. She stirred tea slowly, listening to the soft scrape against the cup while laughter spilled from the other room. When the spoon was later shaped into a ring, she wore it daily. The silver reminded her that belonging isn’t found on maps, but built through shared meals, open doors, and friends who choose you back, becoming family over time.