The exams came and went, and I was relieved that the marathon study sessions had paid off because nothing in the tests came as a great surprise. Even Max, Albie, and Ryan seemed unusually happy that we’d made them study so much. Unfortunately, as all of the gang went off to party, celebrating Christmas and the end of term, I had a shift at Daisy’s. I spent so little time there now compared with my old shift rota that I was looking forward to catching up with Rhonna and Mike. Unlike the Em of old, I actually engaged them in conversation, and I knew they’d be on tenterhooks waiting to hear how I did on my exams. Half an hour after me, and ten minutes late for her shift, Katrina flounced in without a single apology for her tardiness and proceeded to take over all of the tables I’d been covering for her. So far, I’d seemed to have gotten away with the whole ‘vomiting over my boyfriend’ incident relatively unscathed, so either Katrina had been so drunk herself that she didn’t remember, or she was saving up her ammunition for a day that she could really embarrass me with it. As it was, I found myself caring less and less. All she could do was humiliate me and it wasn’t as if I hadn’t experienced worse. Feeling relaxed and happy that my exams were over and life was good, I hummed gently as I wiped down the tables then went to take an order from one of my customers.

“What I can I get you?” I asked.

“Well, I believe you know what I wanted, but thought better of giving it to me,” O’Connell’s mum replied.

“I mean, what would you like from the menu?”

“Let’s cut the shite, shall we? I wouldn’t put anything from this greasy spoon inside me. I’m here to talk about why my son has cut me off.”

I refrained from pointing out that putting herself outside of one of Mike’s awesome Daisy burgers would be far less detrimental to her body than constantly plying it with alcohol. Sylvia was scary and intimidating, and she knew it, but my way of dealing with scary and intimidating was about to change. I wouldn’t engage in a no holds barred slanging much with her. For a start, I had far too much respect for Rhonna and Mike for that, but above all else, it just wasn’t me. My stand would be dignified but firm.

“Sylvia, I respect the fact that you’re Con’s mum, and we’ve discussed your concerns, but the bottom line is that we love each other and we want to be together. I understand that you have reservations about our relationship, but I really think that you should discuss those with Con and not me.”

I was as polite and respectful as I could be, which, in the circumstances, was probably more than she deserved, but venom filled her face, and I didn’t think this would end well.

“What do you know about love, you money grabbing little whore? You saw an easy mark in my son, and you thought you’d jump along for the free ride!”

None of this was true, but that didn’t matter to Sylvia. Despite my initial defence of her, O’Connell was right. I was the only thing standing between her and her meal ticket. This time, though, she was out of luck if she thought she could scare me off, because now I saw her for the cruel and evil bitch she really was, and when I thought about how the man I loved had been treated as a scared, hungry, innocent child, I was enraged.

“I love him enough to want to take care of him, and despite what you’d hoped for, your son and I are in this for the long haul. If you want to salvage whatever relationship you have left, then I suggest you come to terms with the idea. And please don’t come to my place of work again. You aren’t welcome here,” I replied, shaking.

“What’s wrong, Ma? Didn’t get the message the first time we talked?” O’Connell spoke gently from behind me, making me jump a mile. Mike was stood right behind him, and I was mortified by all of the attention.

“Cormac, what are you doing here?” his mum asked, genuinely shocked to see him.

“More to the point, what are you doing here? I was very clear when I told you not to go anywhere near Em and not a week later, here we are.”

“I was worried about you, Con. You’re much too young to tie yourself down. At your age, you should be playing the field and enjoying yourself. You wouldn’t listen to reason and it’s clear that lust has fogged up your brain, so I’ve come in the hope that Emily has a little more common sense.”

Everyone in the diner was openly staring at our little scene, and I really didn’t want to be part of this train wreck.

“That’s it, Ma. We’re done. I’ve told you how I feel about Em. Even after you tried to chase away the only thing that’s good and pure in my life, the only person who makes me happy. I gave you a chance to stay in touch with me if you just backed off. I don’t make empty threats, so we’re done. I’ve cleared the last of my stuff out of the house, and from now on, there will be zero contact between us, so don’t even bother asking for food or booze money. You’ve had the last penny out of me that you’re ever gonna get. Everything I make from now on is going toward mine and Em’s future together. I can’t stop you turning up to my fights, but you’re barred from the gym, and I’ll have you thrown out on sight if you come there. And if I ever find out you’ve so much as blinked in Em’s direction again, you’ll be sorry. Am I clear?”

O’Connell wasn’t shouting, but he was so wound up by this point that I could see him struggling to keep it together. As much as I loved that he’d defended me, this must be absolutely killing him. Sure, his mum was a complete bitch, but she was still his mum. To have to cut your only parent out of your life, just to have a chance at a happy future, was such a tragic thing. He was cutting Sylvia out in the same way that I’d done with my own mother. We’d made our stand and decided that from now on, our family would be of our own making, and it started with the two of us. O’Connell needed to remember that he wasn’t alone anymore. Walking closer, I said nothing but slipped my hand gently into his. As always, I could feel the anger drain out of him. He looked down at me with love and gratitude in his eyes that told me everything he couldn’t.

“Please, baby. I’m sorry for coming here, but don’t cut me off like this,” Sylvia pleaded. “You’ve got no idea how hard it is to raise a child as a single parent. You don’t know what I’ve been through to put food on the table when you were growing up. I depend on the money you give me now for food. Please don’t abandon me now just because you’ve met someone new.”