‘Thanks, Mum, I knew you would understand.’ Ria smiled. Liam was still so young, but he was clearly genuinely enamoured of this Mandy and she seemed like a nice girl. She was a looker, there was no doubt about that – in fact, she was stunning. She was a very polite young woman, and she had a beautiful speaking voice; the fact she was a stripper was something Ria knew she would just have to overlook. She had a feeling Amanda wouldn’t be stripping for long anyway, not if her son had anything to do with it. The little boy was well looked after, that much was evident, and Liam appeared to adore him. It was strange really – her Liam, the ladies’ man, had been knocked for six by a pretty face. Well, as long as he was happy, that was the main thing. She thought it might do him good to take on a bit of responsibility – Christ knew he needed something to focus on; he was inclined to drift.

The same could be said for each of her boys, she supposed. None of them seemed to want to settle down, but then they were not living the kind of life suited to that. They ran nightclubs, were used to late nights, and they were enjoying every second of it. It was every young bloke’s dream, she guessed. But now here was her Liam on a love job, and she really was pleased for him.

‘Go in the front room and entertain your girl. I’ll rustle us up a bit of grub. Does the little fella eat anything special?’

‘Bernard eats whatever you put in front of him. He’s a good kid, Mum – funny and all. I’ve been teaching him a bit of boxing.’

Ria could hear the pride in her son’s voice, and for a few seconds she felt the urge to cry. She was proud of her son, proud that he had a heart big enough to love that poor girl’s child. It took a lot for someone to do something like that, and not every man was capable of it. But Liam seemed to genuinely care for the boy.

‘I can hear your dad. Let him in, will you?’

Five minutes later Peter came into the kitchen, amazement written all over his face. Laughing softly, she said, ‘I know what you’re thinking, but she seems a good girl, Pete.’

‘She’s a fucking looker, I know that much!’

Ria laughed again. ‘I know, and why not? We have good-looking sons! All joking aside, he is absolutely smitten with her, and her little lad as well. She’s had it hard from what Liam’s said, and she is very young, but she makes him happy.’