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other lighters or matches in there, then we really need to think about the risks of having Miller with us, full stop. I mean, honestly.’ He turned around and locked eyes with me. ‘Is it worth carrying on with this? Really?’

      And that was the million-dollar question. The same question that countless other foster carers had faced before us. The same question that came up for foster carers everywhere. I already knew the answer they had come up with in Miller’s case. They had taken the decision to take back their normality, and Miller, as a consequence, had been discarded. Moved on.

      And Miller himself had no doubt worked very hard to achieve that. Must have pushed and pushed and pushed before finally getting his marching orders. That was what he did. Started every new placement like a project – like an undercover mission he’d accepted from some evil overlord – already, as soon as he set foot in a place, furiously working out how he could end it.

      That, I realised, was the handle, was the still unbroken thread. As he’d already worked out that no one would ever want him, there was no point in acting any differently than he did. In his mind, it was simply a new variant – a new level – on the game he’d been playing, and winning, for years.

      How did it go with Pandora, and that box she had opened? That in doing so, all the evils of the world had been released. And all that had remained in there was hope.

      Not so with Miller. He’d left the box open, and that too had flown. And if you didn’t have hope – that things might one day turn around for you – then what did you have left to run with? Nothing. Just the satisfaction of achieving that clichéd self-fulfilling prophecy. He truly was a boy without hope.

      ***

      Once Mike had left for work, I did as I’d promised him I would. I emailed reports to everyone I needed to, then phoned Libby and Christine to follow them up.

      Libby, as I expected, made all the right (and usual) noises; Miller was such a little monkey, and of course she understood the challenges we faced. And then reassured me that all would be well after the weekend, when he started at his new school, and, ‘You’ll be able to get your life back again. At least you’ll have all those hours of peace every day, won’t you?’ she trilled. ‘And without the added worry that you might get the dreaded phone call from them, to say he’s been excluded and you have to go get him. What a bonus that is, eh? That they have that sort of policy? You can plan shopping trips, days out, whatever you like.’

      So, I thought, Libby’s solution to my dilemma was to adopt an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude. Brilliant. What Libby didn’t dwell on was that even if this was an acceptable answer – which it wasn’t – then I only had two weeks of this sort of respite, then it was the school summer holidays. Six whole weeks stretching ahead of us. What then?

      It was Christine Bolton I posed that question to, not Libby.

      ‘God, I absolutely agree with you, Casey,’ she said, in her soft lilt. ‘And his social worker really needs to be doing something about it – planning for it now, so that it’s already in place for when you need it. Never mind the Helping Hands project or whatever they were called, she needs to access every resource out there, and we both know they are out there, and those summer holidays need to be structured and organised right from the off. This child will not leave the house with you without a fight, he’s causing chaos in the home, and he’s leaving you with no alternative but to take away the only things he has to do in the house. So what’s left? Not a whole lot, that’s what. And it’s neither your responsibility nor your fault.’

      Quite a speech from Christine, I thought. Yes, it still needed making to Libby, as opposed to just me. But, as I’d listened, I’d felt something that I hadn’t up to now. And it was confidence. Early days, but it was definitely confidence – that she was onside, on my wavelength – that she had my back. That there was a chance that, in time, we would reach the sort of professional relationship I’d enjoyed with my much-missed John Fulshaw. Even friendship. Please let it be so.

      And she was also spot on. Which gave me hope that she genuinely understood our daily battles, and the many frustrations involved. She also agreed with Mike that a full strip search of Miller’s room was officially now in order (finally) and also offered to arrange a visit from a fire officer, to have a stern word with Miller about the danger he’d put us all in. ‘They show them some quite horrendous videos of house fires,’ she said, ‘and in my experience, it usually does the trick. In fact, the kids are quite often traumatised after seeing some of the images, but that’s far better than them getting excited about playing around with fire.’

      I thought that was a brilliant idea, and asked her to, yes, please, arrange it, and we also scheduled a catch-up between ourselves on the Monday morning, the first day Miller would be at school.

      Well, hopefully.

      ***

      I’d only just got off the phone when I heard the front door opening. It was still only 9.30 a.m. by this time – I’d packed a lot in – so I was surprised to see Tyler walk in. I braced myself to explain about what had happened to his college papers, and I did manage most of it, but before I could get to the fire safety visit I’d organised, he held up a hand and said, ‘Mum, listen.’

      It hit me then that he’d been waiting patiently all along, to be allowed to speak. ‘What love? What’s up?’ I asked.

      ‘Nothing’s up. Not exactly. It’s just – look, please don’t be angry with me, Mum – but I’ve asked Kieron and Lauren if I can stay with them for a bit. Whoah … don’t look like that. Just for a couple of weeks or so, okay? Just till … well, just till things are sorted out a bit more with Miller. I mean … well … it’s not working as things are, is it? I’m just, well, constantly wound up and it’s just getting worse. It’s like … well, I know you’ll think it sounds mad, and I know lots of the kids you take in are just challenging ...’ He smiled. ‘Me, for instance. But he’s different. He seems to have a thing about me, seriously. It’s almost like he’s doing everything he can to make me go for him. Like he’s got a plan on. Like he wants me to hit him.’

      Even if he didn’t know it, the truth of his words hit me like a sledgehammer. But what hit home the most painfully was the other thing he’d said. That he was leaving. He was going to stay with Kieron and Lauren. That, because of Miller, who I’d just told in no uncertain terms that I was not giving up on, my own son, my beloved son, didn’t want to be here any more. I felt tears spring to my eyes and begin to cloud my vision. And a whump of empathy for every foster carer who’d been here before me. Who the hell did I think I was, thinking I could succeed where they’d failed? This was exactly the sort of reason why every foster carer who ‘failed’ failed. Basic love and priorities stuff. And stultifying guilt.

      ‘But, sweetheart, this is your home,’ I said. ‘I don’t want you to leave. I really don’t, Ty. Please don’t. We’ll work it out. We’ve got the school sorted, and I’ve been giving them hell down at social services, and –’

      Tyler shut me up by wrapping his long, strong arms around me. ‘Mum, don’t be so wet. I’m not leaving home.’ He laughed then. ‘Kieron told me you’d think that. But honestly, I’m not. It’s just for a little bit. An extended sleepover. This will always be my home. I just think that, right now, you and Dad need to concentrate on Miller without having to worry about how I’ll react, and to be honest, it’ll be better for him, me not being here, because honestly, yesterday, I did nearly hit him and that’s just not me. Is it? I just need a bit of time away from him, that’s all.’

      I looked at this boy who had lived within our home and our hearts for five years now. Who saw us as his parents, because we were now. And my heart swelled with pride. He was such a thoughtful young man, and I loved him so much. I also, despite my tears, understood.

      ‘I’m so sorry, darling,’ I said, as I reached up and kissed his forehead. ‘Of course you can stay with Kieron for a bit, but I feel so bad that you feel you have to. You know there absolutely wouldn’t be a choice,

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