After a brief nap, she was feeling brighter in herself, but not at peace… never at peace. ‘I thought you might not come back,’ she said, holding on to her daughter a minute longer. ‘Just now when I opened my eyes I thought it were your dad come to see me.’ She gave a small, bitter laugh. ‘God knows what made me imagine that. I expect he’s down the pub, swilling back the booze like always. He won’t give me a second thought, nor the bairn neither.’

Watching while Molly seated herself on the hard chair beside her, she asked curiously, ‘He does know, doesn’t he – about the bairn?’

A moment ago, Molly had caught her mother sleeping, and seen the fleeting fear when she opened her eyes. It only served to fuel the anger she felt towards her dad. ‘Yes, Mam,’ she answered. ‘He knows well enough.’

Amy sighed. ‘It doesn’t matter anyway. He’ll not care one way or the other. Not so long as he’s got his drinking cronies, and the floozies behind the bar to wink and giggle with.’

‘They’re not all floozies, Mam,’ Molly said gently. ‘If you recall, Madge Bonnie’s daughter works behind the bar at the local. She’s a sweet little thing, wouldn’t say boo to a goose, and if Dad so much as winked at her, she’d run a mile.’

The idea of it made both women laugh out loud. ‘Come to think of it,’ Amy added with a chuckle, ‘I reckon anybody would ran a mile if your dad winked at ’em.’ And they set off laughing again, much to the annoyance of a bad-tempered patient.

‘Some of us are trying to sleep!’ she called out, and Amy made a gesture that sent colour into the woman’s cheeks.

Thinking her mam had changed her mind after all and wanted Frank to visit, Molly asked cautiously, ‘Do you want me to tell Dad you’d like to see him?’

Amy’s smile slipped. ‘No, I ruddy well don’t!’

‘Sorry.’ The girl felt uncomfortable. ‘Only, the way you were talking just now, I thought you might have changed your mind.’

Filled with guilt, Amy gazed at her daughter, love and regret shining in her pained eyes. ‘I didn’t mean to snap at you,’ she apologised. ‘But I don’t want him near me again, not now – not ever.’

For the next half hour they talked of Rosie and the children. When Amy asked where Lottie was, Molly replied, ‘She should be home by now, waiting for me to get back.’

But her mother was not fooled. ‘She’s a right little madam, is that one,’ she said. ‘You watch her like a hawk, lass, or she’ll walk all over you.’

They chatted about Alfie, but Molly kept the news about America to herself. She also made no mention of losing her job. ‘You’re a good girl,’ Amy said, taking hold of her hand. ‘You must be worn out, rushing home from work and seeing to the children, then coming here to visit me. You’d best get off now. I’ll be fine.’