I may not 'ave loved Molly Dawes the best during 'er life but I have loved 'er the longest.

When 'er Mum told me she was pregnant I was tickled pink, shitting myself but excited at bein' a Dad. We were barely more than kids ourselves, what did we know 'bout babies an' raising 'em, but we were more than 'appy that we were doin' it.

Everyone thought I wanted a boy but I didn't care, really I didn't, boy or girl. I'd planned to teach 'em 'bout football, how to ride a bike an' do all sorts of stuff.

When she was born, I was there. I raced in from work, I did. I was holdin' Belinda's hand an' then there she was, screamin' 'er bloody head off. Always been a mouthy one, our Molly.

Me and Mol always got along fine until I did my back in. I couldn't do all the things I used to do wif her, I couldn't work and there was the bleedin' pain as well. I turned into a right twat, she grew into a teenager and things just went from bad to worse. But I never stopped loving her- she's my Molly.

I was angry with 'er when she first joined the bleedin' army. All I could see was how it would affect me, no one to get money off, no one to babysit the kids, do things around the 'ouse.

Her pikey boyfriends, none of 'em been any good. That Artan wanted Molly to marry 'im, said he'd help me out with disability but Mol put paid to that, even after I threatened to cut her off. I was pissed off at her 'bout that an' I did stop her Mum and the kids from seeing 'er. Belinda won't happy 'bout it, gave me a bollockin' every chance she got.

The bloke she's got now, he's alright. He's been good to her, kept an eye on 'er in Afghan, 'long wif Smurf and the others. She saved 'is life an' all. Mol saved a few of them boys in Afghan, 'specially if you listen to the way Smurf told the story of 'ow she saved 'im. Swinging from the end of a rope, makin' sure 'e didn't bleed to death before they could get 'im back to the 'ospital. Her bloke got 'er a medal from the Queen for 'er bravery.

I thought she was on wit' that bloke, Smurf. 'E came round here a couple times when they was on leave. Good bloke, you'd hav' to be blind not to see 'e was in love wif our Mol. But she just kept saying 'e was a mate 'n' that was all. Then the poor bugger died. Made it 'ome from Afghan, only to keel over on the pitch. We saw the ambo an' all, didn't think it had anything to do with those two. Mols rode to the hospital in the back wif Smurf. I think she was glad to be wif 'im, at the end. She did love 'im in 'er own way.

Her new guy, was the one she raced to see when she first got home. Turns out she didn't have permission to go see him. Told me she did, bein' the Medic an' all. Trust our Mols to ignore orders and do as she pleases. Don't know if she got into any trouble for it though. Sounds like it was touch an' go wif 'im for a while but knowing Mol, she would 'ave dragged 'im through it regardless. She wouldn't let 'im go, if she loves 'im.

This Charles is the one who told her she should go back to Afghan to finish what she'd started over there. He seems to want the best for her. He keeps telling her to "be brilliant", as if. I wonder what his game is. I mean I think Molly is great but she's my kid. What does he see in her? He 'ad better not be usin' 'er, slummin' it I think they call it. She's my kid and I don't want to be used by some rich bloke an' dumped. And he's much older than her an' all.

But the Army's been good for her. I didn't think she had it in her to do good at anything but she's proved me wrong. I thought she'd have a problem following all them rules and regulations in the Army but she's done ok. She learnt some new skills, travelled a bit and even become a hero, saving Smurf 'n all. It's given her some good dosh as well.

When she first went away on her first tour without sayin' goodbye to me I'll admit it, I was a little hurt, couldn't really blame her though. I'd been a right twat to her. And when she was gone for so long I suddenly found that I missed 'er. You don't realize what you've got 'til it's gone I suppose.

She's changed too since she's been in. We've had a few little chats like when her Mum had that poncey friend, Shazza. Mol told me that I should hold her Mum's hand and then I'd move up with 'er. Good advice it was too!

What was really good was, when she came home from her first tour, her Nan hired a car and we went to meet her at the airport. Belinda and her Mum were huggin' Molls and I could barely get a word in but Molls reached out to me, to hol' me hand. I think that's when we turned a corner.

I may not love 'er the best but I loved Molly Dawes her entire life.