The details that you are asking about occur early in the story. The first detail is in the first paragraph.
On the cupboard behind her there were two glasses and some drinks. Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home from work.
The text says that Mary was waiting for her husband to come home, which doesn't immediately mean it is a routine. What does hint at a routine is the fact...
The details that you are asking about occur early in the story. The first detail is in the first paragraph.
On the cupboard behind her there were two glasses and some drinks. Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home from work.
The text says that Mary was waiting for her husband to come home, which doesn't immediately mean it is a routine. What does hint at a routine is the fact that Mary has two glasses and the drinks ready to go. The glasses and drinks are out, and they are located in close proximity to her. She is anticipating her husband being home soon and the fact that he likes to have a drink when he gets home. She could only know that if that sort of thing was a regular routine.
The next piece of evidence for a comfortable routine and looking forward to Patrick's arrival is the following lines.
Now and again she glanced at the clock, but without anxiety: She merely wanted to satisfy herself that each minute that went by made it nearer the time when he would come home. As she bent over her sewing, she was curiously peaceful.
She continues to glance at the clock, but the text says it's not a nervous clock watching. It's an excited clock watching. She knows that each time that she looks at the clock, Patrick is that much closer to being home with her. My kids do the same thing when their Uncle Mike is coming over. They ask like every three minutes what time it is, because they just can't wait for him to show up.
A third piece of evidence is these lines:
She stood up and went forward to kiss him as he entered. "Hello, darling," she said.
Notice that she didn't stay seated when Patrick came home. She got up and greeted him immediately. If she wasn't looking forward to him coming home, she would have given Patrick a cursory "hello" as he made his way into whatever part of the house that she happened to be in. But that's not the case. She is literally waiting for him at the front door.
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