mum, for a start. I’m sick of the cooking lessons every day. I know she’s only trying to help, but some days I don’t feel well and I don’t fancy bloody cooking.’
‘I’ll have a word with me mum. Leave it with me.’
Frankie nodded then continued. ‘I also want to be able to visit my nan and grandad as well. I ain’t got me mum and dad now and I miss having no family.’
‘You’ve got your brother, ain’t ya? I worry about you going to that house because I don’t trust your uncle Raymond,’ Jed argued.
Frankie shrugged. She was determined to get her own way. ‘How about if I see my nan and grandad away from the house? I could meet ’em for lunch, or go shopping with me nan.’
Jed wasn’t happy, but was desperate not to show it. ‘Look, we’ll work something out, I promise ya. Why don’t me and you take your grandparents out for a meal next weekend? Tell ’em it’s my treat.’
Frankie smiled. She was getting somewhere now. ‘There’s one more thing, Jed.’
‘Go on,’ Jed said sarcastically. He was getting bored with this shit now.
‘I know if we have a son you’re desperate to name him after your grandad, but I really hate the name Butch. Can’t we choose a name that we both like, instead of just you deciding?’
Jed stood up before he lost his temper. She was really beginning to get on his nerves, the silly tart. ‘Our dinner’s getting cold. Let’s eat that and we can discuss names later,’ he said coldly.
As he began to dish the Chinese up, Frankie smiled. She’d said her piece, stood up to him and her threat to leave – seemed to have worked.
Unaware that Frankie was missing her so much, Joycie had just cleared away the dinner plates and was now sitting back at the table sipping a glass of wine. Her roast chicken had gone down a treat. Everybody had cleared their plates and there wasn’t so much as a baked parsnip left.
Raymond held his glass aloft. ‘That was lovely, Mum. Cheers, everybody,’ he said.
Joycie cleared her throat. Obviously Raymond knew that Eddie was signing the house over to her, but she was yet to tell Joey. Frankie wasn’t even in touch, so she could hardly tell her.
‘Joey, there’s something I need to tell you which I hope you won’t be upset about.’
Joey looked up in shock. He wanted to announce that he was gay himself, surely she hadn’t clocked his sexuality and was about to do it for him?
‘When I was in hospital, Gary and Ricky came to see me. They said that your dad was devastated by what had happened and that he wanted to sign the house over to me.’
‘I don’t understand. You haven’t forgiven him, have you, Nan?’
Joyce shook her head. ‘No, I haven’t, darling, but I do think in his own way your dad is very sorry and he’s trying to make amends.’
Seeing that his mum was struggling, Raymond took over. ‘To put it bluntly, Joey, your dad has given the house to Nan and Grandad. None of this will affect any inheritance due to you in the future, as you’re gonna outlive your grandparents and when anything happens to them, you will get the house.’
‘What about Frankie?’ Joey asked immediately.
Raymond shrugged. ‘Well, obviously, your sister will get left something, too.’
‘Even if she’s still with that pikey toerag, we won’t leave Frankie out, Joey. I’ll make my will according to what your mum would have wanted,’ Joyce assured him.
Joey eyed his grandad suspiciously. ‘You ain’t all gonna forgive my dad, are you?’
Stanley shook his head. ‘Don’t look at me, Joey, I wanted to tell your father to shove his offer up his arse.’
‘So will you sell the house, or live here?’ Joey asked his nan.
Aiming a kick at Stanley under the table, Joyce carried on. ‘We’re staying here until we die. I will never sell the house, because of your mum. She loved it here and while I live here, I can still feel close to her.’
Joey nodded. ‘OK, so do you and Grandad actually own it now?’
Joyce shook her head. ‘Your grandad doesn’t want his name on the deeds, so it will be signed over to me. Your dad’s solicitor is coming round tomorrow to finalise all the paperwork.’
Joey looked at Dominic for support. He wasn’t very good at anything formal.
‘Well, it all sounds OK to me. Now, who fancies a top-up?’ Dom said, cleverly changing the subject.
As the drinks flowed and the mood lifted, Raymond decided the time was right for his own announcement. ‘Well, I’ve got some good news for once. After all that’s happened this year, I decided it was time I got myself an honest career. Polly’s dad came up trumps and I’m gonna go and work with him in the jewellery business. I dunno exactly what I’ll be doing yet, but I’m sure he won’t make me sweep the floors.’
Stanley was the first to leap up and shake Raymond’s hand. For once, his son had done the right thing. ‘Good on you. I’m proud of you,’ Stanley said, choked up.
Raymond turned to Polly. ‘And,’ he continued, ‘last Saturday, I decided that the time was right to ask this beautiful woman here to marry me.’
Joyce jumped up from her seat and clapped her hands together. ‘Go on, don’t keep us in suspense,’ she yelled.
Raymond winked at Polly. ‘Well, after kneeling on the floor for what seemed like an hour, Polly said I was such a catch there was no way she could refuse.’
Joyce was ecstatic. A wedding to organise was just what she needed. ‘Now Polly, you must invite your parents over to the house to meet me and Stanley. We need to start making arrangements.’
‘Hold your horses, Mum, we ain’t even set a date yet,’ Raymond said, laughing.
Polly smiled politely. She had always found Raymond’s family quite strange, so said very little in their company.
Grinning at Dominic, Joey stood up. Everybody was so happy and jolly, it was perfect timing to give his own speech. ‘I’ve got some news as well. Nan, Grandad, are you listening?’
Joyce was feeling a bit light-headed. It was the first proper drink she’d had since she had fallen ill and the wine had gone straight to her head. Staring at Polly, she was too busy picturing how she would look in a wedding dress to listen to Joey.
Stanley poked her in the arm. ‘Joycie, Joey’s talking to you.’
Snapping out of her trance, Joyce smiled at her grandson. ‘Sorry, darling,’ she said.
‘Well, yesterday I got my first job. I’ll be working as a courier-type of post boy in an office in the City.’
‘That’s fantastic,’ Stanley said proudly.
‘Well
