‘Well, yeah, but don’t forget to introduce me to the bride and groom before they get married, Ed,’ Gina said haughtily. She guessed that the people getting wed must have known Jessica, which made her feel a bit awkward. Not only that, she also felt a complete tit attending the wedding of two faceless strangers without as much as a formal introduction beforehand.

‘Don’t she look beautiful?’ Vi commented, nudging Joanie.

Ed winked at his aunts and kissed Gina on the cheek. ‘I promise you faithfully I will introduce you to the bride and groom before the ceremony, OK?’

‘OK.’

Eddie walked over to Joey. He was feeling a bit edgy now and was desperate for the day to go without any hitches. ‘Is everything on cue? Has everyone turned up?’

‘Yep. Uncle Albert and Uncle Reg have gone to the toilet. Your mates are all standing around the back and the only person I ain’t seen yet is Flatnose Freddie. Oh, and Raymond and Polly are on their way; Ray just rang and said he’d be here in five minutes.’

‘What about Stuart?’ Eddie asked.

Joey nodded and, ignoring the bored expressions on Gary and Ricky’s faces, led his father inside the building.

‘Dominic and Stuart have been entertaining Gina’s family and friends and I checked with Claire that everybody on Gina’s side had arrived. Her brother’s a nice guy, so are her mum and dad, but they’re proper Irish and I can’t really understand what they’re saying, to be honest.’

Eddie chuckled. Apart from Claire, he had never met any of Gina’s family or friends and he just hoped that they liked him and vice versa.

‘Do you wanna go and meet them now, Dad?’ Joey asked.

‘No, I think I’ll let Gina introduce me. I’m sure she’d prefer it that way.’

‘Well, you wait here and I’ll go and round everyone up, including Gina. Has she still not got a clue?’

Eddie shook his head and grinned. ‘She might have been a private detective once upon a time, but she ain’t as clever as me, boy.’

Joey smiled. ‘Good luck, Dad. I really like Gina and I’m so happy for you both.’

Eddie looked at his son and felt his eyes well up. Gary and Ricky had been extremely pissed off when he’d asked Joey to be his best man, but he was so glad that he had gone with his heart. Years ago, when Joey was growing up, Eddie had never understood his son. He had been desperate for him to be more like his Gary and Ricky, but Joey was his own person, and once Ed had got down off his high horse and accepted his son for what he was, he’d realised for the first time just how much he adored the boy.