A Thousand Roads Home. Carmel Harrington

placed his paint can back into his rucksack. He turned to walk away, then stopped for a moment. ‘Thanks, mister. For the heads up about Big Brother watching. I owe you one.’

      ‘Do you know any Take That songs?’ Tom asked.

      ‘Nope. Mam likes all that golden oldie stuff, but not me.’

      ‘It’s going to annoy me until I think of that bloody song Cathy was singing,’ Tom muttered. ‘You’re going home?’ He realised he cared that this kid got back to his mother in one piece.

      ‘I don’t have a home. Not any more.’

      ‘Ah, but you do. Home isn’t a place. It’s a feeling. It’s what is up here and in here.’ He pointed to his head and heart. ‘Promise me you’ll try to remember that.’

      The kid pulled his hoody up over his head and moved off into the night.