‘You must be Dominic?’ she said to the tall dark-haired lad who stood next to her grandson.
Naturally polite, Dominic handed Joyce the bouquet of flowers he’d bought. ‘Thank you for asking me for dinner. These are for you.’
Joyce immediately liked the look of Dominic. He was obviously older than Joey, but seemed polite and sophisticated.
‘Thank you so much – they’re beautiful. Take Dominic into the living room, Joey. Your grandad will get you both a drink while I put these in water.’
Raymond shook Dominic’s hand and was immediately aware of Joey’s nervousness. Ray still remembered clearly the night in the Flag earlier this year, when Ronny had blurted to Ed that Joey had a boyfriend.
While Dominic chatted away happily to Polly, Raymond studied him. Ed had never mentioned the incident again, or said anything about Joey’s sexuality since that day, but Raymond was now in no doubt that Ronny had been telling the truth.
Less than a mile away, Frankie was bored stiff. After rejecting Jed’s advances this morning, her fiancé had gone out again with his cousin Sammy and still hadn’t returned. Knowing that her family were having a get-together down the road was hardly helping matters. If she had known that Jed was going to do a disappearing act, she could have sneaked off to see them.
Frankie felt incredibly sorry for herself as she sat down to watch Coronation Street. To say she felt lonely was putting it mildly – she felt utterly desolate.
Jed finally arrived home during the commercial break and when she heard the door open, Frankie kept her eyes glued to the telly.
‘I got us a takeaway. Cheered up now, have we?’ Jed said, slamming the trailer door.
Frankie could see immediately that he’d been drinking again. Full of pent-up emotion, she spoke clearly, but with venom. ‘I’ve had a lot of time to think today, Jed. I’m not happy living here, so I’m going to move back in with my grandparents.’
Jed threw the Chinese on the side and walked over to her. ‘You can’t do that. We’re meant to be getting married, and what about our chavvie?’
He sat down next to her and Frankie was glad that he looked upset. ‘I won’t be treated like shit, Jed. You was out on the piss all night and again today, while I’m sitting here like some idiot. I wasn’t brought up to be treated like a fool.’
‘I’m sorry, Frankie. It won’t happen again. Don’t leave – I love you, you know I do.’
Knowing she had him by the gonads, Frankie carried on. ‘It’s not just about you going out last night and today, Jed. There’s other stuff that I’m unhappy about as well.’
Holding both her hands, Jed knelt in front of her. ‘What? Just tell me and I’ll sort it.’
‘Your 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