Part 7

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Chapter Ten



A couple of days later, Lincoln jogged upstairs. Debs didn't hear him as he came into the bedroom. There was a basket of washing at her feet and she was staring at something in her hands. Lincoln saw it was the picture of him and his Mum.


"Hey" he said quietly.


Debs jumped and the photo fell from her hands onto the bed.


"Oh, hi, sorry" she said, picking the frame up and putting it back in place. Her cheeks were flushed.


"It is ok" said Lincoln.


She put the washing basket on Connor's bed and began hurriedly putting items on the bed. She scooped out the clothes from the dirty basket.


"Do you have any washing?" she asked.


It's ok. You don't have to do my washing. I'm used to doing it myself." It felt weird to have her do things for him. She wasn't his mum after all.


She smiled at him. "That is good, but I am putting a load on now."


"Um, ok" Lincoln grabbed the dirty pile that was sitting at the end of his bed and handed them to her. "Thanks."


She smiled, her cheeks still red.


Lincoln glanced at the photo and then back at Debs as he sat down. "Did you ever meet her?" he asked.


She looked away from him.


"No, I never did."


"I guess having me here isn't great for you, huh?" said Lincoln softly.


Debs looked at him for a long moment and sat down next to him.


"I am glad you are here. What happened with me and your Dad, and your Mum, well that was all a very long time ago."


Lincoln nodded.


"About your Mum, I don't think I have said yet how sorry I am"


Debs put her hand on top of his. Her warm, soft skin reminded him of his own mother.


"Thanks" he replied, his voice constrained.


"I can't imagine what this has been like for you. Losing your mother and being thrown into this situation, not knowing any of us."


"It isn't easy" he admitted. He tried to be tough but truth was he felt overwhelmed at times.


She squeezed his hand.


"It is a learning process for all of us."


There was a pause.


"You know, your Dad wishes that he had done things differently in the past."


Lincoln removed his hand. "What, worn a condom?"


He regretted his comment as she flinched at the mental image. "That isn't what I meant. He wishes that he had known you."


"He made his choice" said Lincoln, folding his arms across his chest.


"Well, I know the past can't be taken back but he wants to make it up to you now. He wants to get to know you. "


Lincoln said nothing. You can't make up for lost time like that, he thought.


"Maybe a small part of you wants to get to know him too?" ventured Debs softly.


Lincoln recoiled at the idea. "I'm here because I have to be. As soon as I am 16, I am out of here."


Debs face showed concern. "Well, I really hope that you change your mind because I for one would like to get to know you and I know your brother and sisters do too."


He thought for a moment. He was enjoying getting to know Connor, Kat and Jenny. It was novel to have siblings and he was surprised at how close he felt to them so quickly.


Debs squeezed his leg before standing up. "Think about it."



Chapter Eleven



Lincoln began to feel more settled in the house as a few weeks past. He was building a good relationship with Connor and Kat. He and Jenny had bonded over their mutual love of all things chocolate. Sam was another matter. Lincoln had no wish to build a relationship with him. He avoided being alone with him and whenever Sam tried to talk to him he made excuses to get away. He didn't know if Sam realised but he certainly didn't care. Sam had suggested that he, Connor and Lincoln go camping at half term but Lincoln had no interest in any Father-Son bonding trips.


School was much the same. He had a few detentions but nothing major. He, Dale and James had become friends and hung out together at breaks and at the weekends. It felt good to have a group to hang with and it made him miss his friends back home less.


It was a Saturday morning when a letter arrived. Ripping it open, he saw it was from Luca. A £20 note fell from between the folds.


Dear Lincoln,


Got your e-mail but thought I would reply by snail mail as it wouldn't let me fax you the £20!


How is life going? Are you settling in ok?

I

t's been pretty quiet here since you left. Me and the wife are both well, thanks for asking. Work keeping me busy as usual.


I arrested your mate Jason the other week for possession. Looks like he might be carrying for Minchella again. I hope you aren't adding to Mike's workload!


So what is your Dad like? Getting on with your siblings? Step-mum?


E-mail me back (unless you have a cash present for me of course!)


I may be able to get some holiday time in a few weeks, thought I could come up and visit you.


Hartley can't be that bad. Chin up.


Love


Luca


Lincoln smiled. Trust Luca, he thought.


Even though it was early he felt like a cigarette, so he grabbed his coat and headed out towards the woodland.


It was a dewy morning and as Lincoln sat on the bench and lit up, the cold seeped through his trousers. He didn't notice too much as he was thinking about Luca's letter. He was worried for Jason. Jack Minchella was a drug dealer near the estate where Lincoln grew up. Lincoln and his friends had worked for him when they were younger. Not selling drugs, but carrying large quantities of them to his dealers lower down the chain. If kids got caught with drugs on them, it wasn't as serious as adults. Lincoln, needing to be out of the house, had been tempted by the money and the free drugs that went along with it. Minchella was generally a fair employer and he and Lincoln had gotten on well together. Lincoln had stopped working for him about a year ago when he and a few of the other kids had been arrested in possession and driving cars that certainly did not belong to them. That was how he had ended up at the secure unit.


Lincoln could remember the hours he had spent in the interview room with Luca, who was trying to get him to tell him where the drugs came from. Lincoln was strangely proud that he hadn't ratted anyone out. Some of the other kids weren't so tough but in the end it had come to nothing. They couldn't pin it on Minchella. Irony would have it that not even a year later he was arrested and put in prison for a year for something relatively trivial. Sophia had made him promise not to work for him anymore, that she didn't want him taken away from her again. He had relented.


The whole gang had stopped working for Minchella at that time but obviously now the heat had died down Jason was starting again. Lincoln feared for him. He wasn't the most street smart and had a habit of dipping too much into the stash. Lincoln shuddered: he didn't want to think about what could happen to him.




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