‘Are you sure? Edmund can make anything you want, within reason – we’re currently out of yak’s milk.’ He laughed a little and nodded to himself after he made this remark, clearly his way of lightening the mood. My child is dead and you’re about as funny as a fart in a car.

No one laughed. Vincent cleared his throat.

‘Right then, let’s talk about Rabbit’s wishes,’ Vincent said. The man-child with the light bumfluff moustache stood behind Vincent, watching over him like a member of the secret service. Molly looked from Vincent to the man-child and back to Vincent.

‘Let’s make something clear, Vincent. This will be about what I want. You know why?’ And she wasn’t just talking to Vincent, she was talking to her family.

‘I’m Rabbit’s mother and mothers know best.’

‘Ma, Rabbit—’

‘Don’t start, Grace.’

She made it clear to all that she was making all the decisions and in some cases (where it mattered) they would be contrary to what Rabbit wanted. Grace mumbled something about her mother being a frigging Nazi. Davey stayed quiet.

‘As nice as this place is I don’t want her parked in here,’ she said.

‘Laid out is the term we use, Mrs Hayes,’ Vincent said.

‘Whatever, we want her home.’

‘That can be arranged.’

‘And I want an open coffin – we’ll find space for her in the dining room.’

Jack didn’t argue. Molly knew he’d be happy to have his youngest under his roof one last time. He nodded his support for his wife’s plan and took a moment to dry his red-rimmed eyes.

‘An open coffin in the dining room!’ Grace said, aghast.

Molly turned on her. ‘Well I’m hardly going to put her in the bleedin’ shed, am I?’

‘She’d hate that, and where would she even fit?’ Davey interjected, but Molly was way ahead of them. She had worked out everything.

‘We’ll move the dining table by the window. We’ll put Rabbit against the wall.’

‘But every nosy auld one will be looking in on her,’ Grace said.

‘That’s what curtains are for, Grace,’ Molly said.

Grace turned to Davey. ‘Say something.’

‘Or we could just put the lid on the coffin like normal people, Ma.’

‘Don’t be cheeky, Davey,’ Molly said.

‘I’m a grown man,’ he mumbled, but he didn’t have the heart to argue with her. He did mention his concern that seeing Rabbit laid out, cold as marble in the dining room, would be distressing for Juliet.

‘Never mind Jeffrey!’ Grace said. ‘He’s already having nightmares that his aunt is the fucking Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.’ She turned to Vincent. ‘Excuse my language, Vincent, but my sister was very puffy towards the end.’

‘Excused and understood,’ he said, nodding his head sympathetically. Silent Ed just stood there rubbing his non-existent moustache.