Dawn’s pain over little Lucas
AS LUCAS IS REUNITED WITH HIS FOSTER PARENTS, SHE DOUBTS HER FUTURE...
The anxiety that has been niggling away at Dawn since she took full custody of her son Lucas threatens to send her over the edge this week – as Billy worries that she’ll relapse and turn to drugs again.
It’s while Dawn struggles to bond with Lucas that her social worker suggests they contact foster parents Ted and Carol for some advice. However, when the pair arrive at Woodbine Cottage for a visit – and Lucas runs straight into their arms – Dawn is crushed…
“Turning her life around to provide a stable home for Lucas has not been easy, yet Dawn has defied all the odds and is in a really good place now,” praises our Dales insider. “She’s proved to the law and child services that she can be a good mum to Lucas, when in fact her toughest audience has been the lad himself. Lucas is too young to truly understand why he’s moved from one home to another, and the more distant he is with Dawn, the less qualified she feels as his parent.”
It doesn’t help that Carol relinquished him to Dawn with a teddy, complete with a recorded voice message from his foster mum telling him that she loves him. The bear is the only toy Lucas is interested in playing with, and it has made Dawn’s new routine with Lucas especially difficult to navigate.
So, when the suggestion is made to ask Ted and Carol for some tips to help ease the transition, Dawn is instantly wary. And when she’s forced to watch on, feeling useless as the instant connection that Lucas has with his foster mum is reignited, Dawn wonders if him living with her isn’t what is best in the long-run.
“Billy can see that Dawn is in bits and, worried that she is not coping, suggests they reach out to their doctor, Manpreet, for some support,” reveals our source. “Dawn takes offence as she accuses Billy of doubting her resilience and expecting her to relapse.”
“Turning her life around has been hard for Dawn”
In fact, Billy is simply trying to support Dawn the best that he can, and she takes strength from her boyfriend’s heartfelt words when he tells Dawn that she is an awesome mum. With that, Dawn resolves to start over with Lucas and attempts to get closer to her son. However, Will looks set to throw a grenade at the fragile situation when he hears that Ted and Carol’s visit has upset Dawn, and confronts the pair after spotting them at the pub.
What does Will hope to achieve by interfering? And does he risk making Dawn’s situation even more difficult than it already is?