Ged started to set the game up instead, every now and then shooting a look over at the letter beside him on the sofa. But as he got into his game he forgot all about it, shouting at the TV screen and focussing on his every move. So it was almost a surprise to see the envelope still sitting there. He reached over for it, closed his eyes for a few seconds and held it, smelt it. Then he slid his fingers inside the envelope and pulled out a standard prison letter, thick blue lines on it, the jail stamp at the top. Ged sat back as he started to read the words from his father. He struggled to decipher the handwriting, had to take his time to sound some of the words out and it took a while to get through all three pages. Ged held the paper to his chest briefly before shoving it back in the envelope and ramming it in his trouser pocket. If his mother saw this, she would go ape. She usually hid any letters from him. Ged had once found a stack of them in the bottom of her wardrobe and all hell had broken loose. She had no right to hide his mail, Kevin was his dad and Ged had every right to see him and get letters from him.

Not for the first time, Kevin had enclosed a visiting order with his letter. Lucky the post had been late today then, and he’d seen it before his mam, before it was too late. This was it, a chance to see his dad, a chance for his father to sit facing him, look him in the eye and tell him how sorry he was that he hadn’t been around for him.

Ged missed his dad, he’d been his hero when he was a kid. They’d gone to the park to play football together, wrestled, watched wildlife programmes together. His old man had been his best friend.

Ged’s thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. Bloody hell, Frankie hadn’t just been winding him up. Ged’s swiped the button and held the phone to his ear.

‘Yo, what gwarn,’ drawled Frankie.

‘Not much, just chilling, what you up to?’

‘I’m down the estate just sorting a few things out. Come to Collyhurst, Eastford Square and we can hang for a bit. I’ll buy you your tea so don’t bother eating first.’

Ged was lost for words, eventually managing to stutter, ‘Yeah, alright, let me get changed and I’ll ring you when I’m on my way.’

‘Sorted.’ Frankie ended the call.