back to my flat with me. I’ll sort a place out for you and Charlie, somewhere decent in a respectable area.’
‘Thanks, Mick,’ she said gratefully. ‘But I can’t leave today. I couldn’t do that to Billy. Let me get New Year out of the way and then I’ll ring you. Billy’s got a lot of problems, stuff you don’t know about. I need to sit down with him and sort things out properly.’
Mickey glanced at his watch and stood up. ‘The choice is yours, sis. I can’t make you come with me. I do worry about you living here, though, especially with that cunt. But I’m afraid I’m gonna have to be making tracks now. I’ve got a new bird on the scene, Danielle, and I’ve been invited round for Christmas to meet the parents. Between me and you, I don’t do families and I’m dreading it!’
Debbie hugged him. ‘They’ll love you, Mickey. How could they not?’
‘Now are you sure you’re gonna be all right, Debs? You’ve got me mobile number. If that tosser comes in and starts, you ring me, okay? Danielle only lives on the Isle of Dogs. I can be here in quarter of an hour if you have any grief.’
‘I’m fine, Mick, honestly. You go and enjoy yourself. As soon as I’m ready to leave Billy, I’ll give you a ring, okay?’
Mickey winked at her. ‘’Bye, Charlie,’ he shouted as he opened the front door.
‘Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off,’ was his nephew’s reply.
Mickey gave his sister a sympathetic smile. ‘That kid has something severely wrong with him. The quicker you get him away from this dump and his scumbag of a father, the better. If you don’t, sis, you’re gonna have agg … major, major agg … trust me.’
Debbie nodded and they said goodbye.
Mickey thought he was giving her good advice, but all he’d done was tell her what she already knew. Monster … terror … horror … Debbie knew exactly what the world thought of her son. Family, friends, teachers, strangers – she’d seen their shocked expressions, clocked their sly glances and heard their snide comments. Difference was, Charlie didn’t belong to them. He belonged to her. She’d created him, carried him and brought him into the world. He was her responsibility. No matter what became of him, she knew she would always love him unconditionally.
AS SHE LOOKED at the dried-up turkey and stone cold veg lying on top of the clapped out oven, Debbie knew she was in Shit Street and wished she had taken up her brother’s earlier offer.
It was now nine p.m. and she still hadn’t heard a dickie bird from Billy. She had guessed he had a strop on when he stormed out earlier, but she’d fully expected him to come back with Andy for his dinner. Debbie knew from past experience that silence from Billy was a bad omen. Worried, she reached for her purse, took out the screwed up bit of paper and dialled her brother’s number.
‘It has not been possible to connect your call,’ a woman’s voice announced. Unable to think straight, Debbie headed for the fridge and opened the bottle of Liebfraumilch that was to have accompanied their completely ruined festive dinner. She hadn’t touched a drink all day, but now needed one desperately.
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