How dose Bella and Hec show care to Ricky?

Prior to being placed in Hec and Bella's care, Ricky is an orphan. None of his foster parents wanted to adopt him, and he could never truly make any friends. He was essentially alone. As a result, he is antisocial and out-of-touch, considered a delinquent by the authorities. When he first gets paired with Hec and Bella, he is unable to really integrate himself in their family, and tries to run away a few times. However, Bella shows Ricky some understanding and kindness, and he acclimates to family life.

When Bella dies and it looks like Ricky will have to go back to Child Services, he attempts to run away, but Hec follows him. In the bush, Hec and Ricky form an unlikely friendship, and the disgruntled Hec comes to feel fondly towards the feckless orphan. Their relationship is companionable and familial, and we see the ways that Ricky's attitude is improved by his sense that he belongs in a family. Thus, the theme of family, no matter how nontraditional or dysfunctional, is central to the film.