‘I asked him if I could.’

‘Who loves ya, Marjorie?’ Molly said.

‘Molly does,’ Marjorie answered.

Davey and Juliet arrived back three months later, and following a family meeting, Jack was installed back home in the box room. Molly didn’t fight – she didn’t have the energy – and Jack would have agreed to almost anything to get off his daughter’s sofa. Juliet took Grace’s old room and Davey took his. That first week home he got busy looking to buy a home for him and Juliet. She spent a lot of time alone or with a tutor he paid five hundred euro a week to. It was an interim solution while they decided on a home and school. During those early days Davey quickly admitted to his mother that he had failed to inform Juliet of Marjorie’s pregnancy.

‘You are joking?’

‘Now Ma, don’t go mental.’

‘Marjorie is nearly thirty weeks pregnant, you big gobshite.’

‘I know, but she’d been acting so strange, and then she was happy and I didn’t want to ruin that by making her think I was doing this for me and not her.’

Molly sighed and shook her head. ‘Well, you’ve just gone and made things worse.’

‘So help me,’ he said.

‘I can’t turn back time, son.’

‘Tell her with me.’

‘Fine. We’ll tell her together.’

Molly served dinner to Davey, Juliet and Jack last. He didn’t seem to notice – he was just glad to be fed and that she didn’t throw the plate at him. She joined them at the table.

‘This is great, Gran,’ Juliet said.

‘Ah, it’s nothing, love.’

‘I missed your casseroles,’ Juliet said.

‘That one is a chicken chasseur, your mammy loved it.’

‘It’s great, Ma,’ Davey said. ‘Isn’t it, Da?’

Jack just nodded and Molly grunted. ‘That auld fella wouldn’t know a chasseur from a Kiev.’

Davey panicked; he couldn’t afford the conversation to go sideways. ‘Marjorie’s coming for dessert. Isn’t she, Ma?’ He was attempting to remind his mother time was of the essence.

‘Oh cool, can’t wait to see her,’ Juliet said between bites.

‘Yeah, on that . . .’ Molly said, and she cleared her throat. ‘Did I tell you Marjorie was having a baby?’

‘No way!’ Juliet seemed genuinely pleased. ‘Who’s the fella?’ she asked, and Davey held his breath.

‘Funny story . . .’ Molly said, and Davey buried his head. She could tell he was regretting asking for her help.

‘Do you remember the night of the gig for your ma?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Well, Davey and Marjorie did some celebrating of their own.’

‘What do you mean?’

Jack picked up his plate of chicken chasseur and left the room.

‘The baby’s mine, Juliet,’ Davey said, and for some reason he raised his fork in the air to underscore the point.

‘Yours?’

‘Isn’t that lovely?’ Molly said, and she could see Juliet’s eyes fill.