Freddie and Jimmy were so alike, and yet so different. Freddie, he noticed, looked good for his age, but he had that petulant look about him that was peculiar to white men. It was odd, but there were a lot of disappointed-looking white men walking around. It was mad, but it was a fact.

Freddie had that look. He was a big man, with a big, powerful physique, and that was what made him look so disaffected. He was still handsome, still had the look that women loved. Glenford had seen the man in action and he had to take his hat off to him. But Freddie's disposition meant that no matter what he got, he would never be happy.

It was a shame, because he had been given more opportunities than most men could even hope for.

Freddie was now eyeing up a girl at the end of the bar. She was mixed race, in her early twenties and Glenford had considered giving her the old Prentiss charm. But he watched in admiration as Freddie turned from morose and scowling to cheerful and carefree. Skirt could do that to a man, and Freddie was only happy when he was conquering someone or something.

Seeing him now, with his smiling face and his jokey voice, he knew no one would believe that this was the same man who had walked in not ten minutes ago looking fit to be tied and up for a fight. It was like a miracle, and the girl was thrilled with herself.

Glenford toyed with the idea of telling the girl what to expect, how Freddie would romance her, bed her and then own her until he got fed up. But she was already walking towards them with a huge grin and a sultry swagger, and he decided to let her find all that out for herself.

So he drank his beer and listened with half an ear until Freddie finally went in for the kill.

'Oh Jimmy, it's beautiful.'

Maggie stared in awe at the watch her husband had presented her with. It was a gold Rolex, and she loved it. She had wanted one for a while, and now she had it and she was absolutely delighted with it.

She snapped open her Cartier and dropped it on to the dressing table, and she allowed Jimmy to place her new timepiece on to her wrist.

'Oh my God, what is this for?'

He shrugged, then kissed her tenderly, and once more he marvelled because she wasn't trying to move away from him. 'It's because I love you, Mags, and I always will.'

He was so earnest she wanted to cry.

Jimmy Junior ran into the room and he was laughing loudly. 'I saw you kissing!' He was all embarrassed and they both laughed with him.

Jimmy picked him up effortlessly and placed him on his shoulders. 'Come on, my little man, let's get you to Nana's, eh?'

They all walked down the stairs together and their laughing and chattering echoed around the house. Jimmy was so happy to hear it and that his family was mended and healed that he felt the urge to cry. Instead, he grabbed his wife's hand and, still holding on to his little son, he started them all off singing.

'One man went to mow…'

It was his son's favourite song, and as they walked from the house the sound was ringing in his ears. Especially Jimmy Junior's laughter. He had a dear little giggle that was so cute, and it proved he had a real good sense of humour too.

He was blessed. His life was perfect, and his family were perfect. What more could any man want?

'Will you be all right with these two, Joe, if I pop over Sylvie's?'

He nodded, his eyes glued to the TV, just like his elder grandson's. Little Freddie had joined them after tea, and played nicely with his cousin until bedtime.

'You go, Lena, and leave them with me, girl.'

She slipped on a cardigan and crept from the flat. Sylvie was always up for a laugh and she was fed up with Joe and his bloody telly programmes. Jimmy Junior was dead to the world, and now Little Freddie was sitting with his granddad like a little angel – not a phrase she had ever thought she would use about him – and she was going to have a nice cuppa and a good old gossip.

At the next ad break, Little Freddie stood up. 'Can I use the loo, Granddad?'

''Course you can, you silly little sod.' Joe smiled at the change in the boy. Imagine asking to use the loo.

He was still glued to the TV an hour later when Jackie came by to pick her son up. She was drunk, and she was also belligerent.

Lena arrived just after her daughter. She could hear her strident voice through the front door, and she hoped she didn't wake that little child with her noisy carrying on.

Jackie was stoned out of her mind, and on one level she knew that she should not be in her mother's shouting the odds, but she could not stop herself. Freddie had told her in no uncertain terms that Jimmy and Maggie had walked away with his job, that her sister and her family had all conspired against him, and that she was nothing but a drunken whore and she could expect him when she finally saw him.

She knew he was annoyed with her for being so drunk and he was taking his anger out on her, but she was determined to make someone listen to what she had to say.

'Will you keep your fucking voice down, Jackie. That little boy is asleep.'

Jackie looked at her mother through unfocused eyes and she said in a stage whisper, 'Oh, fucking hell, mustn't wake Maggie's baby, eh? You never fucking had mine round here, did you?'

Lena sighed. 'I had your girls all the time, Jackie, remember? They practically lived here at one point. Now either calm down or fuck off home. I ain't in the mood for you tonight.'

Jackie looked awful. Her hair was matted where she had slept on it all afternoon, and her make-up was streaked over her face. She was dressed like a refugee, and she was up for a fight.

Well, Lena and Joe were determined to see that she did not get one.

Joe motioned with his head and Lena nodded. He was getting his coat to walk Jackie home. This was a running joke now. Tomorrow she would have no memory of this whatsoever, but for now Lena had to try to calm her down.

Little Freddie was standing there watching her, and for the first time ever Lena felt a twinge of pity for him. No wonder he was like he was, with this sorry excuse for a mother and that ponce Freddie as a father.

'You are wankers, you and my dad. Nothing but fucking wankers.' Jackie was pointing at her mother now, poking a grubby finger into her face.

'Stop this, Jackie, stop it. Why do you do this?' She was trying to walk her towards the front door, but Jackie was so unsteady on her feet Lena was convinced her daughter was going to fall over and hurt herself.

Little Freddie was attempting to help his mother stand upright when she pushed him away from her and shouted, 'You are trying to send me away again, ain't you? You don't want me or mine here, you don't care about us. It's all about Maggie, ain't it? I can count on one hand the amount of times you've been round my house, but I come here every day, every day I come to see you. Well, not any more, you can all fuck off now. My Freddie was right all along, none of you care about me. None of you.'

She was on a roll now, gesturing madly with her arms, and Lena watched her eldest child in abject sorrow. No wonder the girls were never home, no wonder they avoided her like the plague. At this moment she could even find it in her heart to sympathise with Freddie, because Jackie couldn't be the easiest of people to live with.

Jackie screwed her face up in hate, and spewed out her vitriol and her anger while all the time being led out of the flat. Joseph had the front door open and he was dressed for the outdoors. When Jackie saw him standing there, she laughed out loud.

'Oh, here we go, the big guns are out, are they? Walking me home, are you, Dad? Making sure I don't stay here with you pair of fucking tossers.'

Little Freddie helped his mother out of the door. He was holding her up now, and Lena watched them go down the stairs until finally she could shut her front door. She knew that her neighbours had heard Jackie's ranting and raving, and she felt angry and upset.