JULIET STOOD IN THE airport one week after her mother’s funeral. She could feel the weight of her backpack on her shoulders rooting her to the dull tiled floor. She looked to those around her for cues as to how to react. Molly was stoic, refusing to show emotion. Grace looked like a ghost. Lenny seemed angry. Stephen wasn’t there; he was at a study group, or something more pressing than saying goodbye to his cousin. Marjorie looked insane, with a large smile plastered on her face and her eyes wide open. Everyone was struggling in their own way. Bernard, Ryan and Jeffrey were subdued. They just hung around like puppets on broken strings. Jack sat in a chair with his head in his hands. It felt like the wake all over again, except this time there was no cake, booze or polite conversation; it was just people loitering in a large open space staring at one another, waiting for the inevitable and wishing for it all to end. Julie’s brain was still fog-bound, and she remained comfortably numb.

‘We have to go,’ Davey said, and suddenly a tsunami of emotion engulfed her . . . Big fat warm wet tears cascaded, she shuddered and shook, her knees felt like jelly and her brain burned. What am I doing? Where are ya, Ma? Please, Ma, come back. I don’t want to go. Davey clutched her hand and pulled her into his side. He held her tight but she could feel that he was shaking, too. Molly crouched down. ‘I’m a phone call away. I’m a flight away. When you need me, I’ll be there.’

Juliet hugged her granny tight until finally Molly prised them apart. ‘It’s OK, love,’ she said, but it wasn’t OK. They both knew it. Grace hugged Juliet and she cried and kissed her on the head, and then it was Lenny’s turn. ‘We’re always here too, Juliet.’

‘Thanks, Lenny.’

Then the kids said goodbye.

‘See ya at Christmas,’ Jeffrey said.

‘It’s not too far away,’ Bernard said.

Ryan whispered into Juliet’s ear. ‘Don’t let the bastards get you down.’

‘OK.’

He made a fist with his hand and shook it as he nodded his head.

‘OK,’ she repeated. Then it was her turn to say goodbye to Marjorie. She was crying and holding a tissue against her runny nose and when she stumbled over the words ‘I love you’, Juliet pulled her in close and whispered in her ear, ‘Don’t be scared, Marjorie.’ Because that’s the kind of thing her ma would have said. Marjorie lost it and needed to hold onto Lenny while Grace helped her to a chair. Shite. Sorry. Finally she stood in front of her granda and he beckoned her to sit on his knee. She climbed aboard and within moments they were both sobbing and hugging.