Clare was sweating now. She was quiet for a few seconds while she got her story together. ‘Sam was a lovely man, and yes he was one of your dad’s friends. I wouldn’t class him as his best mate but, yes, they were mates. I’d been seeing your dad for a few months but we were on and off. Your dad never turned up when he said he was taking me out, and Ged,’ she paused, ‘I was sick of being sat all dressed up and the cheeky bleeder never turning up, never rang me or nothing he just left me high and dry. He always had an excuse, oh yes, something had always come up but, in the end, there is only so much a girl can take. So when Sam asked me to go out, I said yes. It wasn’t like I was married or anything.’ She stopped for a moment, looked awkward. ‘In fact, I wasn’t going to tell you anything yet, but while we are on the subject, you should probably know I’ve started seeing Sam again. He came into the club a few months ago and we got talking.’

Ged was silent for a moment then spoke more softly than before. ‘My dad loves you and he always will. If he finds out about this, he will do you in. He’ll go back to jail, Mam.’

‘It’s not my problem. I have a life to live too and I’m not being dictated to by you, or your bleeding father.’

‘Slag.’ Ged whispered under his breath but not so quietly that Clare didn’t hear him. She asked him to repeat what he’d just said. He clamped his lips together and refused. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Ged shook his head sadly. ‘My dad said you broke his heart.’

‘Oh, give me a bleeding break, Ged. It was over seventeen years ago so I don’t know why he’s still going on about it. He’s after the sympathy vote, why on earth he’s telling you this stuff anyway is beyond me. We’re done, I can’t change it can I?’

‘Yes you can, Mam, let him show you how much he’s changed. This Sam will never love you like my dad does. We’re a family, we can make it work.’ Ged was upset, he craved a proper family unit, truly believed that if his dad was back at home then all their problems would be over.

‘Look. I’ve said he can come and see you but don’t ask me to be part of it. I’ll go in the front room and he can come in here.’

Ged didn’t look at her. ‘Whatever.’

Chapter Nineteen