Frank - Frank in house drinking, Man and woman call, invites them in, through and out the back door. Closes door. Wife comes downstairs, calls him a dick and mean. Back gate locked and they have to come back through the house. Wife died 2 years ago.

Frank - In garden, trampoline. Neighbour Mrs Palmer-Mackin, house 32, only ever said “good morning” and heard the tv. Commotion, she was outside and he had to call her daughter. Daughter and son in law came and packed up 10 months later, today family with kid arrive. His garden unkempt.

Frank - Red on trampoline asking questions, Frank ignoring, stranger – beedy-phile. Mum Sarah, nurse for Marcie (Frank’s dead wife) in hospice.

Frank - Marcie at window excited by next door, reminds her of Mikey their son. Noise and reminder of St John’s. At the Fairfield Wednesday pub quiz been going there 40 years of birthdays, New Years, parties. Marcie writing scribbles and looks afraid.

Frank - Red outside, Frank curtain twitching, Marcie appears as different ages from when he knew her, his imagination. Ignores Red at door who ends up posting picture.

Frank - Picture reminded him of St John’s pamphlet. Day after quiz things not ok, Hospital - brain tumour less and less hope with each test. What about Mikey? Frank wants to tell him, Marcie doesn’t want to tell anyone.

Frank - Trying to find cures and remedies to help Marcie. She gets annoyed and so does he. She doesn’t want to be treated differently. She wants him to tell her a joke. He grabs her coat for her to go to the pub. She relents but doesn’t want to. In pub awkward with friends. She tells them eventually. Frank feels bad as they instantly start talking to fer differently as if she’s fragile and will break. Frank tells a joke about the pope. All laughed – Frank almost forgot his world was ending briefly, 5 months later Marcie died.

Frank - Doesn’t open letter. Mikey found out via Sal who was unaware he didn’t know that his mum was dying. Only 6 weeks left. Didn’t go back to work that day and went straight to see them. Tension between Frank and him after and more so at the wake. Ken speech in The Flea – Frank puts his hand on Mikey’s shoulder, shrugs him off and Frank stumbles into table. Mikey - “you should have told me”, Frank – “promised I wouldn’t, Mikey – “What did you do to help?”, Frank – “fuck you”.

Frank - Sitting on step with Marcie, taught Mikey I-Spy, took hours. Finally took to now to start playing. Calls Red, Gavin his middle name to annoy him.

Frank - Frank sees Red at bin and feels bad. Red says he’ll draw another. Frank picks it out. Marcie reminds him it’s the 2nd time he’s been to the bin and opened gate, first time in over a year. Doesn’t leave in fear of Marcie disappearing. At pub after she passed, normally doesn’t remember getting home, this time stumbler out, goes to supermarket and asked to leave at self service tills buying drink. Has gin at home. Wakes at 3am gets book about mouse bought it for Marcie – gift after writing his first novel. Letter from Marcie in it, takes sleeping tablets doesn’t care if he wakes up.

Frank - Wake up to voice in hospital, checking if he tried to kill himself, No. Home Marcie on sofa, Frank panics and thinks he having a breakdown. Homes Under the Hammer loud to hide her voice. 12 hours later.

Frank - On step, Sarah returns sad after leaving Red, can’t find keys in bag, they’re in her jacket, Frank calls Sarah back “he’ll be fine”. Sarah asks about Mikey in school, surprised she knew about him, Frank goes in and Marcie says he should apologise to Mikey, annoyed about letter still hasn’t opened, Marcie disappears, probably for a couple of days.

Frank - Laundry and police call – car (Val) memories. Shed break ins, seen kid on bike with toolbox, cop says to tax car, Marcie away 3 days now.

Frank - Marcie away full week ‘cold war of the idiots’. Ken kept in touch with him and Mikey. Mikey having a kid reaching out to Frank, Frank uninterested when Ken told him and stormed off. Argument with Marcie disappeared for 3 days. Message on answering machine Mikey about granddaughter Mirabelle Marcie Hayes.

Frank - Marcie still gone.

Frank - 2 weeks and no Marcie, TV, reading, not sleeping, no concentration, missed her. Does laundry, she returns. Sees Red in garden and Marcie wants Frank to go out and check on him.

Frank - Putting up washing getting Red’s attention, telling trampoline joke. Sod and swear words, said c word to teacher, ‘crap’. Sarah comes out and Red says that they should stay there.

Frank - has dream, Fence panel blew down, Red wants to stay off to help fix it to avoid Jake. Frank tells him to retaliate.

Frank - Red and Sarah call at house, make their way in, Red in sling, Sarah surprised how tidy it is.

Frank - Doesn’t know what he done, eventually told. Sarah asks him to look after Red (Marcie too) so Sarah doesn’t have to take the week off. “You owe her” “Her job is important”. Stayed late to care and be there for Marcie.

Frank - Sarahs rules – 1: minimize swearing, 2: 1.5hrs max on tablet, 3: No drinking.

Frank - Our Lady of Turnpike, his favourite of his own books, Frank 67, Sarah 31, Red relentless, Beano annual 1989, Red hungry already by 9:58.

Frank - Mikey is 39, games, Frank has no idea about Red’s, Minecraft, Pokemon. Frank goes to Mikey’s room for board games, Guess Who?, Red gets lucky guess first time.

Frank - More Guess Who? 7-3 Sarah invites Frank in for dinner, Fred ruder than meant to be and says thank you to soften it.

Frank - ‘Life is full of shitty moments, so the perfect ones deserve wall space’ – Pictures. Red can’t grasp that they are of Frank. Met Marcie 2 weeks before a pic of her in a bridesmaid dress, Frank was hit by dildo 1983 in Nearys, 18 in pub, Marcie’s sister’s hen party, dildo on table, Snakebite (drink) spilt over Frank and Ken, Frank to take gran home at 10:30, Kens mum works in pub. Marcie retrieves dildo invites them into town, can’t. 2 weeks later Frank still talking about her to Ken who knows her friend and gets her number. Doesn’t phone but end up at the same wedding. Marcie’s speech “I will kill you”. Frank superglued mug to table not paying attention.

Frank - Phones Ken for Saw and tools.

Frank - Ken told about all that was going on, then Ken tell Red about him and Frank getting suspended, Ken in fight and Frank defending him but was teacher and got 2 weeks suspension, fishing, good time. Little Ken and Little Little Ken. Most of the tools were Franks anyway.

Frank - Red helping, Marcie sunbathing – Frank didn’t speak to Marcie first week she appeared. Red catches him talking to himself, Red mimics him, asks Red for help to pour water for cement for post.

Frank - Got in routine by the fourth day, Smoke on back step now with Marcie, not smoking as much. Before and after picture.

Frank - Didn’t want to be a cloud on Mikey’s sunshine, he was happy. Christening across gate. Red asked about Christening, Frank happy when Mikey christened. Red ‘Are you a mountain or a mouse?’ give him a present first.

Frank - Marcie telling him off but can’t hear with lawnmower.

Frank - Rest of the day awkward, Red still not himself. Marcie tells him off again and he goes to jigsaw. Calls Red ’Mikey’ to Marcie.

Frank - Both acting weird, apologises and they make friends. Red tells about letter and eventually it goes back into the bin.

Frank - Friday, Sarah brings fish and chips as thank you. Sarah talks a lot, Mark and Joe back in a couple of weeks. Frank thinks Red is nervous about going back to school. Red packs but leaves him a pokemon card. Frank finds it and knows its attributes (water type).

Frank - House quiet, Sarah next door noise in house, Red missing, police short staffed with marathon. Red’s dad on the way, Officer Lowden on bike coming down street.

Frank - Frank outside with Lowden, Sarah gets note Red left, mission, Frank realises. Marcie taught Jimmy Lowden and got him where he was, reference.

Frank - Thinks he knows where Red is going, looks for letter and invitation, can’t remember address but knows how to get there.

Frank - Phone’s Ken, Frank is scared to leave, Sarah “we’ll take your car”, Frank “It won’t start”, Lowden “its not MOTd or taxed”.

Frank - Marcie story of Northumberland causeway, flooding car. Car eventually starts.

Frank - In traffic, police car ahead, hits BMW and goes on pavement.

Frank - Arrives at house, Sarah runs behind house. Red and Sarah reunite. Mikey says “Dad?”, Frank “I just wanted to check the kid was alright”, goes back to car. Thinks of his son’s perfect family and is ashamed after and just wants to return home.

Frank - In car, leaving, Mikey stops them, puts letter in pocket and introduces Bella.

Frank - Second July – car fixed up – ventured a few times passed the gate but finds it hard. Christening afterparty at Franks, busy with friends and family. Marcie was there when he got back, but about less and less often, today was her last day.

Frank - Goes into loft for old word processor.