Eddie sat on a stool. ‘I ain’t slept all night. How’s Joey? I take it he’s here?’

Joyce nodded. ‘The twins are both upstairs. Joey seems OK now, he’s just eaten a big plate of chips, bless him.’

Eddie put his head in his hands. ‘I feel so guilty, Joyce. I’ll make it up to Joey, I promise I will. If Jess can find it in her heart to forgive me, I’ll book us all a holiday. We can spend some proper time together as a family, it will do us all good.’

Joyce handed him his cup of tea.

‘What do you want?’ she asked, as Stanley peered around the door.

Ignoring Eddie, Stanley walked in. ‘The pigeons need feeding,’ he said curtly.

As Stanley shut the back door, Joyce locked it. The crafty old sod had only come out to be nosy. She smiled at Eddie. ‘Stands out there for hours with his cock in his hand,’ she joked.

Eddie did his best to force a smile. He wasn’t in the mood for jokes, no matter how funny they were.

‘Go upstairs and speak to Jess for me, Joyce. Ask her if I can go up and talk to her.’

Jessica was sitting on the bed with the twins either side of her.

‘Are you angry with Daddy?’ Frankie asked her.

‘Can we go and see him now?’ Joey pleaded.

Joyce opened the bedroom door. ‘Ed wants to talk to you, Jess. I’ll take the kids downstairs and send him up, shall I?’

Jessica shook her head. ‘I don’t want to see him, Mum. I’m not ready to go through all this yet.’

Joyce put her hands on her hips. ‘Look dear, he’s your husband, you have to talk to him and there’s no time like the present.’

Jessica sighed. ‘OK, but let the twins stay here for a minute. I’ll send them down when he comes up. I’m not leaving them on their own with him.’

Joyce nodded and left the room.

‘Go up, Eddie. She’s in her old bedroom.’

Eddie felt his heart rate quicken as he carried the flowers up the stairs. He took a deep breath and walked into the room.

‘Daddy!’ Frankie and Joey exclaimed.

‘Hello, kids. Can Daddy have a cuddle?’ he said, with tears in his eyes.

Hugging them both tightly, Eddie crouched down and kissed them. ‘You go downstairs and see your nan for a minute,’ he told them.

They both nodded. ‘Will you come and see Grandad’s pigeons with me?’ Joey asked him.

‘Another time, son,’ Eddie said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

As the twins left the room, Eddie handed the flowers to Jess. ‘Peace offering,’ he said.

Without looking at them, Jessica put them on the floor. ‘It’s gonna take a bit more than a bunch of flowers, Eddie.’