The Make

were engaged. Crazy ideas. Finally I snapped and texted her to fuck off, and she stalked me as far as Mum’s then hit me with a fucking house brick. The police are dealing with her now.’

‘We were starting to think that Drax must have done it,’ said Gracie. ‘Actually she maybe did you a favour. With you in intensive care, Drax couldn’t easily get to you. And he would have, that’s for sure. He got Harry, and he damned near got me. He even tried for Mum.’

George looked unhappily at Gracie. ‘Mum’s gonna hit the roof over this. Me and Alf.’

Gracie shook her head. ‘Shouldn’t think so. You’ve got her at a point of weakness. She’s just so damned glad to see you alive and well, she’ll get over the surprise.’

‘You don’t disapprove then?’ asked George, looking awkward.

‘What, of you being happy? Why should I?’

‘Well, that’s good news.’ George stared at his sister for long moments. ‘It’s really good to see you, Gracie. After all this time.’

‘You too, George. Thought we’d lost you.’

‘Me? Nah.’ George leaned over and grabbed his deck of cards from the side table. ‘Let me show you this new trick I’ve been teaching Alf. Come on, Gracie. Pick a card. Any card . . .’

She selected a card.

‘Seven of spades, right?’

Gracie showed George her card. It was the seven of spades.

‘I don’t know how he does that,’ said Alfie.

‘Tricks of the trade, m’boy, tricks of the trade,’ winked George. He looked at Gracie and his smile faded. ‘How’s Dad then, Gracie?’ he asked awkwardly.

Gracie stared at George for a long moment. It must have hurt him so much – and Harry – when their dad apparently just turned his back on them. But she knew that Paddy Doyle had phoned Suze time and again, asking to see them, but she wouldn’t allow it. He’d sent cards and presents for them, but Suze, so consumed with anger at Paddy, wanting to hurt him, had intercepted them.

Suze had ducked out of this, but Gracie wasn’t going to. She braced herself. She sat down and took George’s hand in hers. And then she told him about Dad.

New Year’s Eve

Chapter 80

They celebrated New Year’s Eve at Suze’s place. The front door, so badly scarred by Deano’s boys and their chainsaw, had been replaced with a new reinforced-steel one. In Suze’s living room, they all gathered together to bring the old year to a close and to celebrate the birth of the new – Gracie and Lorcan; a thinner, slightly frailer George with Alfie; Harry with Em. Suze looked around at them, her kids all together again, and felt a surge of maternal pride as she doled out the drinks for the midnight toast.

She was going to start the New Year without a partner. Fucking Claude, what a drip he’d turned out to be. But there were singles bars and there was online dating; there was lots out there for a single woman in her fifties these days. It was no big deal. She looked over to where Alfie was sitting with George. Now that had been one hell of a shock – but, well, George was okay and that was what counted. She didn’t much like the idea that her eldest son was a bender, but really, when you got right down to it, did it matter?

Suze looked over to where Harry and Emma were standing, gazing deep into each other’s eyes. Actually, even though she was a posh bird with a cut-glass accent, Suze quite liked Emma. But then, Emma was going back to Hong Kong tomorrow, so it was just ships passing in the night. A shame.

Suze looked over at Gracie. Their eyes met. Suze gave a little smile and a wink. Gracie raised her glass. She mouthed ‘Happy New Year, Mum.’

‘You too,’ Suze mouthed back. All right, they were worlds apart, but Suze was so glad Gracie had come back at last. And – she glanced at Lorcan, who was standing near Gracie – she knew she wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Time to let the past go, she thought.

Gracie came over. ‘You okay then?’ she asked her mum and, after a moment’s hesitation, she dropped a kiss on to Suze’s cheek.

Gracie thought it felt strange, doing that. But sort of nice, too.

‘Fine,’ said Suze, giving her daughter a quick hug. ‘I meant to tell you – Claude sent me a card.’

‘He what?’

‘Yeah, he did.’ Suze pulled a face. ‘He wants to try again.’

Gracie didn’t want to say straight out that Claude was an arsehole and Suze was a million times better off without him, even if it was true. The peace between them was still too fragile; she didn’t want to risk it.

‘And . . . what do you think about that?’ she asked carefully.

Suze looked at Gracie and suddenly they were both laughing.

‘Oh God,’ said Suze when she could get her breath. ‘Your face! No, Gracie, I’m not going there again. And look, I’m sorry I believed him over you. I really am.’

‘It’s okay,’ said Gracie.

‘I loved your father,’ said Suze. ‘I know we argued, but I loved him.’ She looked at Gracie. ‘You’re so like him. Wedded to the job, aren’t you, just like he was. He worked too hard, and I was stupid, shouting at him, and then stopping him having contact with the boys. I just wanted more of him and, when he wouldn’t give me that, I went off and found someone else. It didn’t mean a damned thing, Gracie; it was Paddy I wanted.’

Now there were tears in Suze’s eyes.

‘Hey, don’t,’ said Gracie, feeling tearful too at what Suze had said.

Suze sniffed and blinked. Fixed a smile on her face again.

‘No you’re right,’ she said. ‘It’s New Year. Fresh start.’

Suze looked at the clock. ‘Hey, everyone! Two minutes to go!’ she shouted, and they turned the radio up to listen to the chimes of Big Ben.

‘Harry,’ Em was saying, her face grave as all around them the excitement grew. ‘I’ve got something to tell you.’

‘Oh?’ Harry looked worried. He knew what she was going to say. She was going to say, so long, it’s been fun, but I’m going back to my real life tomorrow, so this is goodbye. He was feeling a bit down tonight. He was still shocked – reeling, in fact – from what Gracie had told him about Dad being dead and gone for over a year. Now there would never be a chance of reconciliation between him and George and their father: that ship had sailed. And now, Em was going too.

‘Just that I’ve been thinking really hard about everything.’

‘Oh?’

‘Yes. Harry, I—’

‘You don’t have to say it,’ butted in Harry. ‘I understand perfectly, Em. You’ve got your life, I’ve got mine . . .’

Em’s face froze. ‘Is that how you feel?’

Jesus, the new year’s going to be horrible without Em, thought Harry.

‘No, I don’t,’ he said. He had nothing to lose by speaking his mind now anyway. ‘I’d like you to stay here with me, but that’s stupid.’

‘Is it?’