Chapter 1

"Have you finished Joey?"

"Yes thanks mam." He handed her his plate.

"Freddie?"

"Thanks sweetheart." Freddie handed over his.

"Right then, out of the way you two I've baking to do."

"Fancy a drive down the Dock Road dad?" Joey kept his voice light and friendly.

"Why not eh? See you later Nellie." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and followed Joey out to the car.

Nellie wondered what was wrong with Joey now, or was he just giving her a break from Freddie. Still not allowed back to work yet, he'd been getting under her feet whilst she tried to get her Christmas baking done. This was the first Christmas Freddie had been home since 1982, and she was determined to make it an exceptional one. No Jack though, a tear formed in her eye at the thought that it wouldn't be a complete Christmas with one of her brood missing and Aveline a married woman. No doubt she'd have to suffer that proddy cuckoo Oswald Carter at some point.

Joey negotiated his way round Brunswick Dock before stopping facing the grain silo. He switched off.

"Jack's van's in there," he indicated the dock with a smile, "along with a leather coat I bought but never got the chance to wear."

Freddie turned to face him. "Everything all right son?"

"No dad, it's not."

"What's the problem then? Is it money? I've a bit aside from yellow mornings if you're short."

"No, it's not money. Do you remember going to the DHSS at Canning Place, one of the girls there?"

Freddie closed his eyes. "It's years since I last went. I think there were a couple of old biddies and one young girl, pretty, dark hair, lovely eyes. Sarcastic though."

"Yes, that's probably her, Martina her name is."

"Caught you out has she? You've had a good run, cheating them Joey, your luck was bound to run out sometime."

"No it hasn't. But well, I've er, I've,"

"You know when you were a little lad, you used to get a look when you needed to own up about something. You've got that look now." Freddie chuckled. He paused for a moment then continued. "She's the one you've been seeing." He poked Joey's chest. "The night before our Aveline's wedding, you'd been with her then." He sat back a smug look on his face.

"Yes well I have, but the thing is,"

"She's not one of us."

"She is actually, nominally, but dad,"

"How long?" Freddie was amused.

"Over a year. Dad..." Joey was beginning to get impatient.

"A year? You've kept that quiet, I'm impressed."

"Dad listen, please. The thing is, the thing is, she's pregnant."

"Yours?"

"Yes."

"Pleased?"

"Not particularly."

"What about her?"

"Devastated."

Freddie nodded serious now.

"When's it due?"

"June."

"Rome, that middle weekend you said you had some business to see to. She came out didn't she?" Freddie nudged his son, having made a rapid calculation.

"Yeah, she did. But dad, I don't know what to do."

"You don't need to do anything Joey. If you don't want to get involved then don't."

"I can't just ignore it."

"Why not? You didn't ask her to have a baby did you?"

"No, but.."

"There you are then. She should have been more careful." Freddie was dismissive.

Joey looked at his dad, typical reaction, sighed and shook his head. "Won't solve anything, walking away, will it, the problem will still be there."

"Told you before son, not in my experience. You walk away from a fire you don't get your arse burnt. And this is a big fire."

Joey looked at his dad in silence as he started up.

During the drive back Freddie was reflective, knowing what a soft lad Joey was when it came to things like this, he doubted he'd follow his advice.

The car came to a halt. "You coming in Joey?"

Joey shook his head.

Freddie squeezed his son's shoulder. "And remember lad, do what you want to do, not what the world expects of you."

Joey scowled. That was his dad all over, doing what he wanted to do and sod everyone else.

He pursed his lips, and drove to Seymour Street in the hope that Michael might be about.

"Joey, good to see you, come in. Tea, coffee something stronger?"

"Coffee will be fine, thanks."

"What can I do for you Joey?" Michael queried once they were settled with their drinks.

"Nothing particularly. I suppose I'm just after advice."

"Fire away."

"Martina," he paused.

"A keeper Joey, definitely a keeper." Michael's tone was approving. He'd been favourably impressed by her on the occasions when they'd met.

Joey smiled.

"Yes well she's pregnant, about twelve weeks."

Michael tried hard not to crack up, "that's one way to catch her. Bit drastic though."

Joey had to laugh. "I didn't sabotage the packet, something just went wrong. The thing is though she's gone into a strange sort of, well it's like she's not accepting that she's pregnant. She won't make any plans or take any decisions, just says we can take it as it comes."

"She's probably gone into a state of shock, particularly if she wasn't expecting this to happen. As for making plans, what's wrong with going with the flow? You can make decisions as they turn up. There's no need to meet trouble half way."

"Yeah, but I feel responsible."

"You are."

"I mean I feel I should be doing something for her, them."

"Just be there for when she needs you Joey." Michael was serious.

Joey nodded.

"And Joey, listen, listen to what she's telling you, really listen."

He leant forward, "sure you don't want something a bit stronger? Toast to the baby and its mother?"

Joey was tempted. "Go on then." It'd be nice, he reflected, to acknowledge the bit of him that was, in some strange way that he couldn't define, pleased with the situation. Michael was the first person who'd been supportive so far, and picked up on what he'd been trying to say. Both Everett and Loretta had been protective of Martina, seemed to assume that he was going to do a runner and had been cold towards him. Ev had even been vaguely threatening, well as much as an overweight, extremely effeminate guy could be.

He sipped his drink, a delightful rum.

"It'll do you good in the long term." Michael spoke.

"What a glass a day?" Joey was puzzled.

"Being a father. How old are you now 31, 32? Time you settled."

"You can talk, you haven't settled and you're in your forties." Joey grinned at him.

"Yes, but I've never met the right person and even if I did l wouldn't be fathering children."

"Suppose." He frowned, was Michael intimating that he'd met the right person then? Martina? Maybe, she wasn't Roxy though. No, he had to stop thinking about her, and concentrate on the situation he'd found himself in.

"Joey?" Michael noticed his glazed eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

"She doesn't want to get married."

"So? You don't need a bit of paper to be a family Joey. A family's what you make it."

"No, I know but it's what women want isn't it?"

"Obviously not what Martina wants. Else she'd have had you down the aisle. What you mean is it's what you want."

"No I don't, but oh I dunno." Joey glared at him.

"Or what you think you should do and you're sore she's not gratefully accepting on bended knees."

Bit below the belt thought Joey, but quite possibly true. He had been a bit miffed that his offer to make her an honest woman had been rejected. "Yeah, perhaps."

"She's a strong woman Joey. She could manage perfectly well, of course that doesn't mean she wants to. But she'll need reassurance that you want her for herself not just because she happens to be pregnant with your child."

He gave Joey the sort of look that he normally reserved for work.

Intimidated Joey straight off. He'd never wanted to get on the wrong side of Michael.

"And if you're not up for that Joey then don't pretend. Offer practical and financial help."

His eyes were boring into Joey. The message clear, don't mess with her. Or else.

"But if you are, then you're going to have to work hard to convince her. I imagine it'll take time, and effort and patience."

Joey drew a deep breath. "I don't know, I truly don't know what I feel or what I want."

"That's what she's been saying take your time, don't rush into things that you might later regret. You need to listen to her."

"I don't know what she wants either. She won't discuss her feelings or what's happened to her in the past. I have tried."

"She probably doesn't know what she does want Joey. But sure as hell she'll know she doesn't want someone who's with her just because she's pregnant."

There was a heavy silence whilst Joey digested everything that Michael had said.

"Another?" Michael flourished the bottle, his eyes back to normal. "You look like you need it."

"Thanks." Not surprising thought Joey, given everything that's happened.

Michael replenished both glasses. "I can be a titular uncle."

"More like a grandad. My dad as good as told me to cut and run."

"From what you've said he had no qualms about leaving his own children Joey, so he expects you to feel the same. Anyway grandad? Don't know about that. Sounds old."

He sipped his drink, reflectively.

"But, be nice I imagine, all the fun no responsibility. Pushing a pram to the park, feeding the ducks, swings, reading books in front of the fire, I can't wait."

"Glad someone's pleased."

"Isn't your mother?"

"I haven't told her yet."

"Don't you think you should?"

"Yeah, but she's not easy Michael. I might wait till the new year."

"It's not going to get easier the later you leave it. Wouldn't it be better to do it now?"

"Yeah, you're right but," he shrugged. This was not a conversation he was looking forward to. And why spoil her Christmas? She was so pleased that Freddie was going to be at home he didn't have the heart to break that bubble, especially as she was already fretting about Jack still being in the States, and Aveline in that cold, damp, depressing vicarage as she liked to put it. No he'd wait till the New Year celebrations were over till he dropped his bombshell.