She pulled herself on to her back, and stretched her arms above her head. She felt a luxuriousness overwhelming her, as if she had finally found the secret to eternal happiness. Knowing that Cynthia was gone was like receiving the greatest gift ever. It meant that her life would change drastically in every way. She could do what she wanted, when she wanted; there would be no Cynthia to stick a spoke in the wheel, no Cynthia to shoot down her hopes and her aspirations, no Cynthia to make her feel inadequate any more. And no Cynthia to burn her children to death or turn them against her.

Her granddad Jack came in to the room with two cups of tea, and she smiled at him dreamily, ‘She’s gone, Granddad, and I don’t feel an ounce of guilt.’

Jack sat on the bed carefully and, taking her hands very gently in his, he said seriously, ‘Listen to me, love, you will. When this sinks in you will realise the enormity of what you have done. Now, I’m not saying that what you did was bad but, love her or loathe her, and I certainly loathed her, she was still your mother when all was said and done. That will be the thing that will play on your mind.’

Neither of them spoke for a while. Then Gabby said honestly, ‘I won’t let her ruin the rest of my life, Granddad. She’s ruined so much of it already, I can’t let her ruin the rest. I’m glad I did what I did; it’s just a shame that someone didn’t do it to her earlier, then my little boy would still be alive, and I wouldn’t have her blood on my hands. She was not a person who had any right to decency or kindness, she was not a person to aspire to be. She was cruel, and she was evil in many ways. She took what she wanted from anyone, she was nasty, vindictive and she never threw me a kind word. She was the reason my dad killed himself, why Auntie Celeste went off her head, and why my brother never knew a happy day in his life. I don’t feel a second’s guilt over that bitch, so don’t worry about me, OK? I’m fine, better in fact than I have been for many a long year. Me and Vince have a chance now, we can be a real family and Cherie won’t have her dripping her poison in her ears at every available opportunity. I am actually looking forward to the future now, and that is something I could never say before today.’

Jack picked up his tea from the bedside table and drank it quickly. He heard the truth in the girl’s words. ‘I’m glad to hear it, love, I just don’t want her on your mind.’