‘Oh God, Ma, he thinks something’s wrong,’ Grace said, and she ran to meet him to let him know all was well before he had a heart attack. He was halfway up the steps and gasping when she reached him. ‘Everything’s fine, Da,’ she said.

‘Are you sure?’ he said.

‘She’s sure,’ Molly said, and Grace stepped back.

‘Molly?’

‘I’ve been reading the book.’ She hugged him tight. ‘You were right and I was wrong.’

‘About everything?’

‘Don’t push your luck.’

He hugged her back and Grace watched her mother tell her father she’d missed him.

‘I missed you too, Molly.’

‘I said some things in anger, Jack, and I didn’t mean them – you’re a good man, a good father, and I’m sorry.’

‘I’ve had a lot of good days in my life, Molly, but this is right up there with the best.’

Jack left his game of bowls behind and he and Molly took off in his car for a drive and a bit of late lunch. They had a lot of catching up to do. Grace watched them drive away together. Jack was as happy as a man could be and it was nice to see. Their relationship had been slightly strained since the operation. He tried his best, and it was mostly business as usual, but there was a silence on the subject that just sat between them, a large elephant in the room that wouldn’t go away – not until the next operation was done and dusted and maybe not even then. It didn’t matter, though; they still loved one another and there was no point dwelling on the subject. She agreed with him on one thing: she’d had some good days in her life, but seeing them take off together put this one up there with the best of them.

Part Eight: The Court Case

Chapter Seventy: Grace

Chapter Seventy

Grace

LENNY MADE THE KIDS sandwiches and Grace ran around trying to tidy the place, dress herself, fix her hair and apply make-up for her mother’s court appearance. Stephen wanted to talk about whether or not it was time he moved out.

‘There’s a room for rent in a house near the university.’

‘A room in the house that your girlfriend lives in,’ Lenny said.

‘Yeah.’

‘Is it her room?’ Grace said.

‘Yeah.’

‘You’re not even twenty and you want to move in with a girl?’ Lenny asked.

‘There’s five other people in the house,’ Stephen said.

‘Your father and I are not paying for it.’

‘I earn enough for rent, working in the bar.’

‘And what about food and bills?’ Lenny asked.

‘I’ll take an extra shift if I have to and I’ll make shitloads in the summer.’

‘Lenny?’ Grace said, walking around the kitchen looking for something, but she couldn’t quite remember what, with Stephen following. ‘What do you think?’