Lincoln hugged us goodbye and I watched him look at Alex.
"I'll be back soon." He whispered. "We'll figure this out."
Max started to cry and he pulled her in for a hug.
"Hey, Maxie, it'll be ok." He whispered. "I'm going to see you again very soon."
"When?" Max asked.
"I don't know. I'm sure Alex and Louis will sort something out." He said.
"Why can't you come and live with us?" She asked.
"There's no room for me there with you two and a new baby on the way." He said. "But I'll visit soon. I'll make sure of it."
He kissed her on her crown and smiled.
He turned to me. "Emma, what's your number?"
I rattled it off, considering how strange it was that my brother didn't already have my number saved.
"I'll give you a ring soon, yeah?" He said. "Come here, Em."
He wrapped his arms around me in a familiar embrace and kissed my head.
"Love you." He said, before heading towards Alex's truck.
He waved goodbye and we watched as the truck pulled away and drove off. I saw Louis looking at the truck with a contemplative look on his face before turning to us with a smile.
Amelié squeezed my hand, reassuringly.
"Let's go home." She said. "I'm making Ratatouille for dinner."
She took my sister's hand and we walked towards the car. Louis walked next to me, still quiet and I wondered what he was thinking.
"He's a good kid." He said eventually. "He means well."
I nodded. "Please can we see him again?"
"Sure we can. We'll set up some kind of schedule so you can see each other a couple of times a month." Louis said, unlocking the car.
"Promise?"
"I promise." Louis smiled.
Funny how I believed his promises more than my brother's.
~*~
At home, Max sat on the sofa looking glum.
"What's the matter, Mon Cherié?" Louis asked.
"I wish he didn't have to go." She said.
Louis wrapped an arm around her.
"I know you do, Mon Cherié." He said gently. "But you can see him soon."
"What if we drift apart?" She asked.
I raised an eyebrow at that. We already had drifted apart. Today's visit had proven that. But I didn't say anything. It was nice that Max still saw him as our brother and nothing less.
"Listen to me," Louis said, taking her by the shoulders so he could look into her eyes. "If you drift, you will always find your way back to each other."
"Are you sure?"
"I promise." He said, kissing her forehead. "Could you come and set the table for me, Mon Cherié?"
Max headed for the kitchen and Louis turned his attention to me.
"Are you ok, Mon Cherié?" He asked.
I nodded.
"Do you want to talk about anything that's bothering you?" He said, sitting next to me.
"He knew about the pregnancy." I said.
YOU ARE READING
Lonely Hearts 2
General FictionLincoln may have been taken back to the children's home, but that doesn't mean he's going to give up. Thrown into a foster home and told it's his final chance, he isn't going to stop until he reaches his sisters again. But maybe, just maybe, he'll...
