‘Oh Juliet, you’re a stalker, just like your mother,’ Molly said, referring to Rabbit’s dogged pursuit of Johnny Faye.

That made her giggle. ‘Yeah.’ She bounced off to the car.

They pulled up two houses away. It looked exactly the same, except the new renter had planted a bush in the front garden.

‘That’s nice,’ Juliet said.

‘It’s a rose bush. It’s a little early for them to bloom – soon, though,’ Molly said.

‘Can I get out?’

‘Whatever you like.’

Juliet walked slowly towards the wall that she used to think of as her own. She sat down and Molly joined her.

‘I can see you on the road playing. I can see your ma calling you to come in for your dinner, standing in that porch, her long hair tied up in a ponytail, a rock and roll T-shirt on, tight jeans and flip-flops.’

Juliet smiled. ‘Boots – she only put flip-flops on when it was hot.’

‘Not now, Ma, I’m playing with Kyle,’ Molly said in a high voice.

‘I didn’t sound like that.’

‘I’m an alien, Ma, and he’s my human friend,’ Molly said, and laughed. At one point Juliet had genuinely thought she might be an alien because her father was a mystery and she was double-jointed.

Juliet laughed and playfully pushed her granny. ‘It would have been cool to be an alien.’

‘Definitely.’

‘I wonder, do they die?’

‘Everything dies.’

‘Except hope – that’s what Ma used to say.’

‘Well she went and fuckin’ took that with her,’ Molly said, and Juliet chuckled a little. ‘Yeah, I suppose she did.’

‘Never mind, we always have tea and Pauline’s coffee cake,’ Molly said, and she winked. Juliet’s unidentified Australian father never seemed to bother her, not while her mother was alive, but Molly wondered if her feelings had changed. Now is as good as any time to ask, she thought.

‘Do you ever think about your dad?’ Molly blurted out.

‘No.’ Juliet blushed red.

‘Sure?’

‘What’s to think about?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know, love. You have a dad out there somewhere.’

‘Maybe not,’ she said.

‘Not this alien stuff again . . .’

‘No, he could be dead, too.’

‘Right,’ Molly said. She couldn’t really argue – after all, the child had a point. ‘Do you miss him?’

‘You can’t miss someone you’ve never known.’

‘That’s a very grown-up answer.’

Juliet shrugged.

‘If you ever want to talk about him you can talk to me,’ Molly said.

‘There’s nothing to talk about, Gran,’ Juliet said, and Molly had to accept her at her word.

‘I’m always here.’ Then, responding to her granddaughter’s frown she added, ‘until I’m dead, and on that day hell will freeze over.’

Juliet’s face broke into a grin. Molly’s talk of hell must have inspired Juliet’s next question.

‘Are you scared of going to jail, Gran?’