Grace burst into tears; Lenny comforted her as best he could. ‘Someone get your ma a fresh tissue,’ he said to the boys when snot crept down Grace’s face. Those assembled were not as familiar with all of the lyrics as they had been with the two previous anthems, but once the chorus kicked in everyone sang as if their own lives depended on it.

‘This is mental,’ Ryan said as he handed his father a tissue for his mother. Jay stood at the pulpit and spoke briefly. ‘This is bullshit,’ he said, and he moved to walk away but then, struck by a thought, he returned to the podium. ‘Not the service, Rabbit being dead.’

Molly nodded and led a round of applause for him as he walked back to his seat.

‘Well said, love,’ she said as he passed. Marjorie was next up. She blubbered her way through the poem, losing her place twice, mumbling the word ‘shite’ three times, and snorted loudly.

‘That was beautiful, love,’ Molly said to poor Marjorie, who could barely breathe. ‘Just breathe.’

‘Can’t.’

‘You can. Davey, rub her back.’

Caroline nodded to Louis and he played another song. Britney Spears’s ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’. Everyone burst out laughing and clapped as they sang along. Molly didn’t laugh. She didn’t clap. Hit me what? God Almighty, Rabbit! Juliet smiled and she even chuckled a little when she saw her cousins Ryan, Bernard and Stephen sing along. Jeffrey seemed a little bewildered.

It was Molly’s turn to speak. She got up, brushed herself off and patted the basket. ‘Here I go, love.’ She stood in front of a full house; she knew so many faces but there were many present she didn’t know at all. Her hand was sore from the sincere grip of mourner after mourner. It might even be a little swollen, she wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter.

‘My name is Molly Hayes, I’m Rabbit’s mother.’ She stopped talking; no one moved, you could have heard a pin drop. She just stared out at everyone. Grace moved to rescue her mother but Jack laid his hand on her knee and shook his head. ‘Give her a minute.’ She stayed where she was. They watched and waited. Molly took out an envelope from her pocket and held it up. ‘I have a letter here, it’s from Johnny Faye to Rabbit.’ She searched the crowd. ‘Johnny’s mammy’s here, in the crowd. Where are ya, Karen?’

Karen Faye raised her hand.

‘Do ya mind?’ Molly said.

Mrs Faye stood up. ‘I’d love it,’ she said, then she waved and sat down.