It was best she went away to Australia, to give her mother a chance to get herself back together.

She finished the dregs of her coffee. Looking at the doorway opposite her, she felt her heart lurch. It was her father, with a bunch of flowers and that cringe-making smile he had.

She admitted to herself, for the first time, that her father actually irritated her.

The thought made her sad.

She took the flowers, dutifully admired them, and then sat and talked to him, avoiding any questions about her mother’s private life. She was going home later and couldn’t wait to get there.

She smiled at her father’s little jokes and did not mention that she was being discharged as she knew he would insist on taking her home, there and then, and that was the last thing her mother needed now. Danny Burrows laying down the law according to him. She also noticed that his watch and gold jewellery were not in attendance. He’d obviously hocked them.

Lizzy had grown up all right.

Patrick stood with Willy, looking at the mound of dirt that was his child’s grave. The flowers were still fresh and he rearranged them to cover up the earth completely. There had been over a hundred wreaths and he had sent them to Grantley Hospital to be torn apart and used in the wards. It had gratified him to see the number of people who had turned out for her. Even Mandy’s teachers from school had come. And it wasn’t just because of him - Mandy was a popular girl. He corrected himself. Had been a popular girl.

He heard Willy whistling between his teeth, and turned to look at him. He was reading Renée’s gravestone. He looked at Pat and smiled.

‘Do you remember that time Renée locked you out the house?’

Patrick frowned.

‘When was that?’

‘When you was first married - you had that bedsit in Ilford.’

Patrick smiled as he remembered. It had been their first home, when he was still trying to make his mark on the world. They had both been seventeen, two children playing at grown ups.

Willy carried on, ‘It was Christmas Eve and me and you had been up the Ilford Palais, remember now? You got pissed out of your head and I had to take you home. Then, when I finally got you there, Renée had bolted the door and wouldn’t let you in. You ended up kipping round my mum’s.’

‘Yeah, I remember. And the next day when I went home she threw me Christmas dinner at me.’

Both men laughed together, basking in the shared memories.

‘She was a girl, old Renée. I really thought a lot of her, Pat.’

‘Well, I’ve lost them both now.’

He walked away from the graves with a heavy heart. Willy slipped into step beside him.