Davey and Marjorie had discussed names for the child, both boys and girls. They liked Amber for a girl; they’d discussed Mia, too. It was Rabbit’s given name and, although beautiful, it went unused for most of her life. They decided against it. Rabbit was Rabbit, she was never Mia and there was only one Rabbit. They liked Jack for a boy, after Davey’s father. It was a strong name. He was a good man. Davey liked the name Cody but Marjorie explained it was a shit name and he’d spent too much time in the States. They went into hospital undecided. Marjorie looked from her little boy to Davey.

‘What’s his name?’

‘After seeing what I’ve just seen, it’s your call,’ he said, and she nodded.

‘Johnny it is, then.’

‘Really?’ he said, and he was blubbing again. ‘Sorry, so sorry, don’t know what’s going on here.’

The placenta was ready to deliver and Johnny needed to be checked.

‘Why don’t you go and tell your family so they can give us back our canteen?’ Annette said.

He kissed Marjorie on the forehead. ‘You did good, Marj,’ he said, and he skipped out of the room like a leprechaun on crack. He danced into the canteen and his family were all waiting, along with Francie and Jay. Francie was holding cigars, Jay had a bottle of Jack Daniel’s.

Molly stood. ‘Well?’

‘It’s a little boy,’ he said.

‘All fine?’ Molly asked.

‘Perfect,’ he said.

Molly bent over and slapped her thigh. ‘Well now. Isn’t that something?’

Everyone gathered round and he was hugging them and kissing them and he felt like he might just be the happiest man in the world. Jack was crying, Grace was crying, the kids were all high-fiving.

Vera sat still and alone amongst the Hayes throng. Davey moved towards her.

‘Thanks for coming, Vera.’

‘What’s his name?’ she asked, and everyone was suddenly quiet.

‘We’re calling him Johnny,’ Davey said.

‘That’s a lovely name,’ Vera said, and he heard an explosion of sound – happy, clapping sounds.

‘Johnny Hayes,’ Jack said. ‘Well now, if that isn’t a rock star, I don’t know what is.’

‘I hope not, Da.’

‘So you named the child after the unluckiest man in the world,’ Molly said, and the room fell silent as she sighed deeply and then held her son by his ears. ‘Time for Johnny’s luck to change then, isn’t it, son?’ She beamed and nodded to herself. Everyone else sighed with relief.

Francie grabbed him into a headlock. ‘She’s right, ya mad fuck.’

‘Johnny’d love that,’ Jay said. ‘He’d fucking love it.’

Francie kissed the top of Davey’s head before letting him go. ‘Nice one, DB, nicely done.’

Davey found Juliet standing beside Ryan. ‘Johnny?’ she said.

‘What do you think?’

‘I think it’s cool.’

‘We want you to meet him first.’