Strong Ties
by
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Zach pulled up out front of the school. “I don't see why you need me to talk to Lucy's teacher,” said Terry. “Look, we'll talk to Ms Stanton, go get lunch, then swing by and pick up Maddie and Anna,' replied Zach. The office lady told them to take a seat while she called Ms Stanton's room. “I don't know if the hospital staff can wait for us to have lunch before picking up Maddie,” said Terry. Five minutes later the bell rang for lunch, and a minute after that Ms Stanton walked into the office. “Good morning boys,” she said. “Good morning Ms Stanton,” they both chanted, more out of habit than anything else. She chuckled a little. “Zach, I'd like to ask you about Ned.” Zach and Terry looked at each other in confusion. “Ned?” asked Zach. “I was wondering if you ever planned to inform me that Ned was becoming part of the girls' lives?” She asked. “Who told you that?” asked Zach confused. “Ned did of course,” said Ms Stanton. “When did you see Ned?” asked Terry. “When he picked up Lucy during recess” replied Ms Stanton sounding very confused. “I think that you need to tell us exactly what happened,” said Terry sternly, in an almost teacher like way. Looking as though she knew that this wasn't going to be good, Ms Stanton started speaking. “I had yard duty this morning during recess. Some of the kids were complaining that there was a car parked at the front gate, so I went to check it out. When I got there Lucy was sitting in the passenger seat talking to this guy I didn't know. She seemed comfortable with him and didn't seem in any sort of distress, however, I was on alert. Anyway I went up and talked to him, and he told me who he was, and Lucy agreed with him. Then he said that he was now a part of the girls' lives and that he was taking Lucy out of school so they could spend some time together. Before I could even ask him if he had signed her out, he took off with Lucy still in the car. I checked our records to see if there was a form denying him custody, which there isn't, then I checked he had signed her out, before calling you because I didn't know whether I should call the police.” Zach's mobile was already in his hand as he started running towards the car. Terry was not far behind him. “He's got Lucy, Tom,” he said, the moment that his Uncle picked up, “Ned's got Lucy!”
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About the Book
When Zach MacDonald was just nine years old, his parents were murdered. On that day, Zach didn’t just lose his parents; he lost a big part of his life. His father’s sister, Theresa, took him in and treated him as part of the family. After thirteen years of living with his aunt and five cousins, Zach has finally come to call it home. Then Theresa is killed in a tragic accident, and Zach must step up to the plate to prevent his family, the last that he has, from falling apart. The girls are devastated by their mother’s death, and with everything that is going on in their lives, Zach struggles to keep the family together. But the worst is yet to come. Events from the past begin to rear up, and the girls face challenges that they’ve never faced before.
About the Author
Brendan is an Australian author who lives in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. He has spent the last few years working for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development as a primary school teacher in schools across the eastern suburbs. When not teaching the wonderful students of Melbourne, he spends his time escaping into the fantasy world of books through both reading and writing. He enjoys a good movie, cheering on the Hawks as they dominate the AFL, and playing with his two cats, Pumpkin and Patch.