Sharon was happy. As she busied herself with sorting out the small betting office, she wondered at just how fantastic her life was. Her mum loved having the baby while Sharon worked and she actually appreciated her time away from her little boy. She enjoyed being back in the real world, and being a productive member of the family. It felt good to earn money, and it was all for their benefit, so they could buy a decent place. They had discussed it over and over: they would wait and buy a house that they could do up and stay in as a family until the kids – and they wanted more kids – grew up.

It was a dream come true and sometimes she had to pinch herself at just how lucky they were, her and her Lenny. Then, last night, that amazing sex had proved to her once again that they were meant to be. God, but she did love her Lenny, no matter what her mum tried to insinuate. Ever since that misunderstanding with Keith Smith, not to mention Billy Mason, her mum had had a hard-on for Lenny. In fact, at times Sharon almost felt that her mum was a bit jealous of her, even though she would never admit it.

She had her dad working with her in the betting shop now – that had been Lenny’s idea. He worried about her there alone and she understood that. They did brisk business, and it was all cash, so she knew the dangers that presented themselves in the world they inhabited. But, as her dad said, ‘Who would be cunt enough to rob Lenny Scott? They would have to be on a death wish’, which made her laugh, but also pleased her. She felt safe being Sharon Scott. People treated her well, and even the hard women on the estate were pleasant to her. It felt good to be so looked after, so taken care of in every aspect of her life. Unlike her mother, she didn’t think that luck had to be paid for at some point. She didn’t feel that every time something good happened to her she should look over her shoulder.