‘Yeah?’

‘It’s not just you and me anymore, kiddo.’

‘Good,’ she said, and her eyes were damp but she was determined to smile through. He took her by the hand and brought her into the room where Marjorie was holding her little boy in her arms. She looked up and grinned at Juliet.

‘Juliet, meet Johnny.’

‘Call me Bunny. Johnny and Bunny,’ Juliet said.

Davey nodded. ‘Bunny and Johnny.’

She grinned.

I wish you were here, Rabbit.

I’m here.

Chapter Ninety-Two: Juliet

Chapter Ninety-Two

Juliet

‘BABIES ARE BRILLIANT, AREN’T they, Gran?’ Juliet said to her gran, who was holding Johnny and gazing at him.

‘They are,’ she said, touching his little button nose with her finger. ‘I can see your ma in him.’

‘Me too,’ Marjorie said.

‘His jawline,’ Molly said.

‘That stare.’

Molly grinned. ‘She could freeze balls with that stare.’

‘Ma!’ Davey said, and everyone laughed.

Vera cried when she held him. ‘Perfect, just perfect.’

Grace, Lenny and the boys only stayed long enough to say hello and see the baby. The nurse was quite insistent that there were to be only two in the room at any given time. At one point there were eleven.

‘He’s a little wonder,’ Grace said, and she sobbed all over the beautiful baby. When it was time for them to go Ryan pulled Juliet aside.

‘You want to hang with me and some of the nerd squad on Saturday afternoon?’

‘Is it all boys?’

‘Girls too, one is Chinese but she has a thick Dublin accent.’

‘OK.’

‘I’ll text you.’

‘Ryan.’

‘What.’

‘Thanks.’

‘For what?’

‘Being my friend.’

‘Sap,’ he said, and he followed his family to the car.

It’s going to be OK, Ma, it’s finally going to be OK.

Epilogue

Epilogue