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Tina kissed her. ‘Everything is going to be okay. I’m here, sweetheart, and it’s all going to be fine.’

Billy stared into the cot at the two beautiful babies sleeping side by side, one swaddled in a pink blanket, the other in blue. My grandchildren, he thought. Who would have thought I’d be a granddadat forty-seven?

‘Aren’t they precious?’ Tina whispered.

‘Magnificent,’ Billy said, welling up.

‘Lucy was so brave and brilliant. I was so proud of her,’ Tina said. ‘I’m so relieved everything went all right. I don’t think she could have taken any complications. And six pounds each is a very good size. No wonder poor Lucy was so big. They’re all going to be fine and that’s all that matters.’

Billy put his arm around her. ‘Aren’t we lucky to have two healthy daughters and now two wonderful grandchildren?’

Tina smiled. ‘I could happily have waited until my sixties to be a granny but, yes, we are lucky.’

Billy looked at his elder daughter, who was sleeping as soundly as the babies. Lucy was pale and there were darkpurple circles under her eyes like two bruises. Poor pet, she neededher rest. What a year, Billy thought, what a bloody year.

He turned back to the babies. He made a silent oath that he would protect them until his dying day. He’d dragged himself out of the inner city but most of his friends had ended up in prison or worse. Billy knew what fighting was. He knew what hard work was. He knew how lucky he was to have got out of there and met a wonderful woman andhad two beautiful girls.

He’d help Lucy to get back on her feet and finish her degree. He’d make damn sure she had the life she deserved. No stuck-up judge and his lowlife son were going to ruin it. No way, not on Billy’s watch. And if that Tom fella ever darkened Lucy’s door, Billy would break his scrawny, spineless neck. A man should stand up to his responsibilities, not run away, like a scaredlittle kid. Everyone made mistakes, but you put up your hand and held yourself accountable. For all his posh background, the fella was a disgrace. As for his bully of a father, what kind of scumbag threatens a young pregnant girl? Billy doubted it was very judge-like behaviour.

Then again, Billy had grown up seeing people in authority behaving badly, from teachers to priests to policemen to judges.He knew fine well that no ‘title’ made you a decent person. No amount of letters after your name meant you were respectable. Actions were what mattered: how you behaved was the measure of the man you were, and by that standard Gabriel and Tom were at the very bottom of the barrel.

Billy watched as the baby boy’s legs kicked the air. A little footballer maybe, he thought, and grinned at the idea.It was going to be fun having a grandson. He’d be able to kick a ball around with him and teach him boy things. Billy loved his girls, but it would be great to have a boy in the house.

Jenny came in carrying paper cups of coffee. ‘This hospital is a dump. They don’t even do cappuccinos. Can you believe it? And there are no cute doctors. They’re all a zillion years old or women.’

Tina rolledher eyes. ‘It’s a hospital, Jenny, not a coffee shop or a disco.’

‘I thought every hospital would have one Dr Ross, but none of them even looks like George Clooney’s granddad.’

‘You need to remember thatERis a TV show. Real doctors are normal-looking, not movie stars,’ Tina said.

Billy took his coffee and moved away from their chatter towards Lucy. He drank some, welcoming the caffeine hit.He noticed Lucy stir. ‘Hello, pet, how are you feeling?’ he asked.

‘Sore.’ Lucy winced as she tried to sit up in the bed. Tina rushed over to help her.

‘Did you have to get stitches? Will you have to sit on one of those doughnut cushions and wee in the bath for weeks?’ Jenny asked.

‘For the love of God.’ Billy covered his ears.

‘Stop that,’ Tina snapped. ‘Lucy had no stitches. She was wonderful.’

‘That’s good because Lorraine told me her aunt had to get loads of stitches and she was never the same down there again. Apparently it’s just a big wide gap and she wees when she walks.’

‘Jenny!’ Tina glared at her. ‘Enough.’

‘I’m just saying Lucy’s lucky.’

‘Is it safe to listen?’ Billy asked, taking his hands down. ‘No more lady talk while I’m in the room, please. Thank God I’ll have anotherfella in the house now.’

‘Have you decided on names?’ Jenny asked.

Lucy nodded. ‘Yes, Dylan and Kelly.’

‘Ooooh,’ Tina and Billy said.

‘You’re such a lick-arse,’ Jenny said.

‘I think it’s lovely that you named your son after my dad and your daughter after your mum’s mum.’ Billy ignored Jenny.