Molly calmed herself and spoke in a gentle tone. ‘It’s not like it was – they won’t do to her what they did to you, Vera.’

Vera nodded. ‘You’re a good mother, Molly.’

‘Thank you.’

‘A terrible person, but a good mother,’ Vera said.

‘Not as terrible as you, Vera, surely.’

Vera nodded to herself. ‘At least I’m not a criminal,’ she said as she put on her coat.

Molly smiled. ‘Ready to become a grandmother?’ she asked, and tears flowed from Vera’s eyes.

‘I am.’

Molly opened the door and followed Vera outside.

‘Try and make a better go of things this time round, Vera.’

Vera nodded. ‘Noted,’ she said, before getting into the front seat of the taxi. Molly sat in the back alongside Jack.

‘Onwards, driver.’

The driver saluted her. ‘Will do,’ he said, and once more they were off.

Chapter Ninety: Grace

Chapter Ninety

Grace

RYAN, BERNARD AND JEFF refused to allow Grace to leave the house without them. ‘We’re coming too,’ Bernard said.

‘I’m not even supposed to be there,’ Grace said.

‘Yeah well, we were there for all the shite stuff when Rabbit was dying, we want to be there for the good stuff,’ Ryan said.

‘And there’s no food in the house,’ Jeff pointed out.

‘Right, text your brother where we are and get in the car,’ Grace said, and Jeff pulled out his phone and had the text sent before she’d finished the sentence.

She rang Lenny from the car. He was on the golf course so she left a message. ‘Marj is in labour.’ Then she remembered he never listened to messages, so she had Jeffrey text him the same message including that she and the kids were in the hospital and asking him to ensure he ate at the golf club.

They were initially denied entry to the hospital, but Grace was well used to security people in hospitals telling her what to do.

‘We’ve business in the canteen.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Is the canteen out of bounds?’

‘No.’

‘Well, then.’

‘You’re not allowed on the ward.’

‘It’s a good thing we’re going to the canteen,’ she said before he let her pass, and then she turned back. ‘Where is the canteen?’ she asked. He pointed the way and she thanked him and marched on, her boys following closely. Jack, Molly and Vera were already there, and so was Juliet. She jumped up and down as soon as she saw Grace and the boys.

‘The baby’s coming – I was there when the waters broke.’

‘No way?’ Bernard said.

‘All over the carpet in the furniture shop,’ she said.

‘Mad,’ Jeff said.

‘Who are you?’ Bernard asked Vera.

‘I’m Marjorie’s mother.’

‘Marjorie has a mother?’ Ryan said, and Grace kicked him. ‘She can see you kicking me,’ Ryan said.

‘Force of habit,’ Grace mumbled.

‘It’s all right,’ Vera said.

‘Hiya, Mrs Shaw,’ Grace said.