Author's Note: Quick note, these flashbacks are longer then I expected. So I think it's going to have to have an extra chapter after this.

Chapter Seventy-Seven

15th May 2016

"Yeah, sorry...I gotta watch some movie with my dad and Mrs Tremaine" Leanna was saying on her mobile phone to her friend from school.

Liam had decided to take his wife and daughter out for dinner and a trip to the local pictures. That movie was 'Alice Through the Looking Glass'. Which didn't please Leanna as she deemed it as a 'little kid's film' however Liam reminded her that her other option was 'The Angry Birds Movie' so Alice won by default.

"Yeah I know...it's so lame" Leanna carried on, laughing about something her friend said. She briefly looked over at her father.

"Get off the phone" Liam mouthed to her.

"Sorry...Gotta go, my dad is making stupid faces at me"

And with that, the girl put the phone down.

"Happy now?" Leanna asked him.

"Yes...Now go and pick your sweets. Today is family day, remember"

"What family? Maya and you both gave up your son and my mum is no longer here"

"Come on Leanna...I'm really trying here"

Maya came back into view by this point, she just popped to the bathroom. She noticed some tension as she asked..."Problem?"

"No problem...I'm just going to get some sweets" Leanna told her.

Walking past her so she could avoid chatting with her. Liam gave a look of slight despair, he really was trying here. Maya gave him a much needed hug and he gripped onto her very tightly. He was thinking about his dead wife and his put away son. Liam pulled apart after a few moments.

"We need to get Alex back" Liam uttered.

"We will one day, okay? I don't think now is the right time, he's settled and everything where he is"

"It's never going to be the right time with you"

"Okay Liam...It's not like I haven't explained the reasons why already. I'm a teacher and you're a doctor, we haven't got the time to give a disabled child everything he needs right now. If you want him so badly, you could always leave your job and be a full-time carer"

"So you don't want him? That's what you're saying?"

"Now you're putting words into my mouth"

He was about to reply however Leanna has returned with a bag of sweets. So he kept quiet, not wanting to argue in front of her again. Faking a big smile, the man took them and remarked...

"They are a ton weight!"

"No...You're just a little weakling" Leanna teased.

"Bit harsh, my masculinity is threatened here"

"Don't you need to have some first?"

This made Liam pass the sweets to Maya. With a brief glance, he put his arms around Leanna and jokingly lifted her up as if she was six years old again. "I'm not a weakling now am I?" Liam joked.

"Let me go!" Leanna replied; trying not to crack a smile.

"Take it back then"

"Never!"

"Admit defeat!"

The girl tried to untangle herself from his grip but could not. So she spat out in fits of laughter..."Okay, I admit defeat!"

Making him put her down again. Liam took the sweets back, finally making their way to the ticket booth. Maya had kept quiet throughout this, normal family life was just not the norm for her. Liam and Leanna were just a smokescreen by this point anyway, they were her cover-ups.

...

10th June 2016

Work was hardly done now in these private lessons. Maya and Damian mostly just talked about this, that and the other. They lunched together, she would make him food and take it in on the sly. Today was nothing unusual for them, the lad was just eating his food and talking about his life at home. The school has barely noticed this little 'friendship', Damian wasn't going to tell anyone. He didn't want to be labelled as the 'Teacher's Pet' or as a 'Swot'. Maya however didn't want it to get out for more obvious reasons. The boy barely noticed the beastly look in Maya's eye. She seemed to have taken a leaf out of her own abuser's book as she said to him...

"I got you something, it's in the store room; you should come and look"

"What it is?"

"Put your food down and see"

She did have something in there for him, another present but that's not the prime reason she wanted him in there. The lad paused for a moment before getting up and going towards the store room. The light was already on in there, it was a small room but it had two chairs in there and was big enough to fit in two people and dozens of small things like books and folders. On one of the chairs was a mobile phone...

"Oh wow...I can't take this" Damian insisted; picking it up. It was just a feature phone, it only had the basics; it only cost her about twenty pounds.

"It's so you can ring me without anyone else knowing" Maya informed him. Ushering him in further.

Closing the door behind her as she watched him sit on the chair. She sat on the other one and so he was very enclosed now. The woman just kept looking at him and wouldn't say anything, her whole demeanour was different. Damian could sense that she was thinking about something but he didn't know what. Before he could ask, he felt her grabbing onto his hand.

"We been friends for a while now, haven't we?" Maya asked him.

"I guess"

His reply made her hold onto his hand tighter and he felt it too. Gripping onto it as if she was afraid he would bolt. She just gave a small giggle however it was so unnatural sounding on a woman her age. Her whole attitude towards him was in fact and he maybe picked on this but he didn't think much of it.

"I'm dead nervous...Do you know what this is about?" Maya then questioned.

"No?"

"You said you liked me a few weeks ago and I like you too...When you said you would treat me better than Liam, I can see it's true now"

Damian was very nervous now. He did have a crush on her however that didn't mean he expected anything back. He has been taught from an early age (as have most people) not to trust this exact type of scenario. He was tempted to run and forget it ever happened but he didn't, he just remained frozen.

"I don't want to force you into anything" Damian nervously replied. Which was a rather ironic statement.

"You're not...Do you not like me? Is that it?"

"No, I do like you but I don't want to get you into trouble"

"I don't want to get myself into trouble either but if you keep it between me and you. Then everything will be okay"

"Okay"

"Well, can I hug you then? That's usually how relationships work" Maya replied.

He gave a small nod however he was shaking like a leaf. He never had a girlfriend before, why would he have? He was just fourteen years old! A child in other words. Maya just hugged him and wouldn't let go for a while. She could sense his nervousness, she really could as she pulled apart again however she kept one arm around him and wouldn't let go properly.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked with false concern (as if she didn't already know).

"Nothing. Just nervous"

"Well don't be nervous, it's okay. I know it's a bit weird...I was thirteen when I had my first boyfriend and it took me a while but it's normal to feel strange for a bit. Now if you ever want to talk or text, you got my number in there"

"I know...I'm just being silly"

"No you're not, I know you and you are not silly. You know, it's going to be funny...Being together. I'm so happy you feel the same, it's been such a long time since I felt like this"

The boy just gave a nervous smile. He didn't know what to say, he's never had anything like this before. Thinking something and doing something are very different after all, he thought about his teacher for a long time but now it's happened. The boy felt nervous and tense, it was no fun. You weren't suppose to feel nervous about your first 'girlfriend'. Even he knew that but he felt like he couldn't do anything about this now. He kept making excuses like, 'this is my first "girlfriend" so it's obviously going to feel strange at first'.

"Have you got my number from this phone?" Damian managed to ask.

"Yeah, I put it in...Don't let your mum see it though"

"I won't"

"Good...Seriously though, I'm so happy. I was so nervous about today but I thought, I wanted to tell you before the summer holidays and give you the phone"

That much was true however she seemed not to grasp the damage she could cause. Even though she's been through it herself. This was how the abuse would be, this would be what led to everything that followed.

...

20th September 2016

Damian was now fifteen years old and he was in Year 11 as a new school year had began. He met Maya secretly in the summer holidays, she would meet him in the late afternoons. He now believed their relationship was 'normal'. They could be together properly when she divorces Liam she claimed. In reality, she had no intention of doing this for a long time. The lad was no longer late to history class. He would just give her secret looks during class but she ignored him, not wanting her other students to notice. They would think she was picking favourites if nothing else. On this rather normal lesson, the class was rather loud and not paying attention.

"Come on guys...This is the most important year" Maya began saying to the class.

Though the teenagers were not paying much mind. They were all having private conversations among themselves. Damian meanwhile was as quiet as a church mouse as he sat up straight in the corner. One of the boys near him was just chatting to his friend casually, laughing with each other about something.

"Guys, be quiet please otherwise I will have to put you all in detention" Maya spoke up a bit louder.

This seemed to quiet down most of the class as now it was just murmurs. The only small group talking now was the said two boys. Maya asked them to be quiet but they ignored her further still, one of them saying to her in a very cheeky manner...

"Quiet yourself Mrs Cavanagh"

Laughing after he said it, his friend putting his hand over his mouth to hide his own laughter. This made all of the class laugh too, well everybody except poor Damian. The lad actually looked rather angry. In his eyes, they were insulting his 'girlfriend'. He was finding it very difficult to not speak up these days when he heard his classmates disrespecting her. It was just kids being kids in reality, they just thought speaking back to a teacher was funny. It was nothing personal.

"Well you just landed yourself a detention, Adam" Maya told him.

"No Mrs Cavanagh! That's so unfair!"

"Sorry but those are the rules as you well know"

This made him go quiet for a few moments. Damian watching him rather closely now, giving him a firm glare. Adam mumbled..."Your rules maybe", making his friend besides him laugh again. The whole class were soon chatting again...

"I mean it guys...Quiet! This is your last chance before you all join Adam in detention" Maya warned.

"Nobody cares about history class though! My mum says I only need English and Maths to get a job" a boy spoke up.

"Yeah...We should revolt!" Adam joked.

"Nobody cares about you either!" Damian suddenly snapped.

Making his classmates turn towards him in surprise, he was a very quiet boy. So this was a big shock..."Oh my God...it does speak" a girl joked.

The whole class were soon laughing again. The fact he was sitting up straight and had his book open like a stereotypical geek didn't help his case. The same girl who made the comment before couldn't stop laughing as she kept looking over at him.

"Right...That's it, detention for you all" Maya finally spoke.

A chorus of groans followed this. By this point, the whole class had just resolved to chatting among themselves again. Maya have gave up telling them to be quiet by this point as she just wrote down the objectives on the board and told them to copy that. The class barely even glanced over and this made Damian angrier still.

"Are you getting angry?" Adam asked the lad; his friend just smirking in the background.

"Get lost!" Damian hissed at him.

"What's wrong? You got a thing for Mrs Cavanagh?"

"Shut up"

"You have, haven't you? I prefer Miss Jamison myself, Mrs Cavanagh is a bit too boring and her hair looks like something an old woman would have. I mean, who under the age of 60 curls their hair anyway?"

"I mean it Adam, go away"

"Okay then weirdo...You carry on being a good little teacher's pet to Annie's nan"

That was a reference to the red curly-haired girl from the musical of the same name. Damian just looked rather angry still. The final straw came when he seen Adam chucking a pen towards Maya's desk, purposefully trying to hit her (but of cause he would pretend he wasn't). Damian noticed this however as he stormed over and looked like he wanted to hit him.

"Damian!" Maya shouted; making the lad stand back; his hand still clenched in a fist.

"I'm sorry" Damian nervously replied.

"Just go outside the classroom...Now" Maya scolded.

This made him even more sad. He got oohing from his classmates as they watched him go outside. Standing outside the classroom with his arms crossed. He only wanted to stick up for her, that's all. He heard Maya excuse herself from her classroom as she went outside, telling them to just write down what's on the board. Damian looked like he was about to cry when she came out to him.

"I'm so sorry...I just got mad" Damian told her as soon as she came back out.

"It's not about being sorry, it's about knowing what we are in. Damian...I understand it's difficult but you can't draw any attention"

"I know but they were being really horrible and I couldn't help it" Damian cried.

"Don't upset yourself, please. Just calm yourself down, sit over there and if anyone asks. Say I told you it's okay because you need to calm down. Okay?"

"Okay"

...

A few hours later and the lad seemed to have calmed down. Though Adam came up to him again while he was going to his last class of the day. English to be exact. Damian found himself be hounded by Adam and some of the boy's friends. They kept calling him things like 'Weirdo' and 'Freak'.

"I bet Damian wishes he was in Mrs Cavanagh's pocket" Adam snarled.

"And more...I always thought you was gay Damian but you're not, you just fancy old women" his other friend chimed in.

"I will get my brother on you if you don't leave me alone!" Damian shouted back.

His brother was twenty-four years old and lived away from home. He didn't really see him much but he always told his little brother that if he was getting bullied to let him know. So this was a real threat. The lads didn't seem convinced however as they just looked at each other.

"Can't fight your own battles? Should have guessed it...You little weakling. I bet your mummy still tucks you into bed too" Adam mocked.

"You don't know me at all if you think that!"

"Whatever mate, you chat crap...Now go back to your ugly teacher or whatever it is you do. Crying yourself to sleep and sucking on your thumb is my guess"

This made his friends snigger. Leanna stood to the side for a bit, walking over towards them. Mainly because she felt sorry for Damian. Though he had no time for her anymore because he thought she was nasty behind his back, Maya told him those lies and he believed them.

"Don't you lads have anything better to do?" Leanna asked them; standing in front of Damian.

"What's this? Getting girls to stick up for you now?" Adam mocked further.

"What's wrong with that? You afraid of standing up to a girl? No, actually...I think you're just jealous he has a girl's attention cause I bet you never do"

This made his friends laugh again however they were laughing at him now. Adam just gave a defeated snarl. Making his way to class at last, his friends not far behind. Leanna turned back towards Damian again, checking he was alright. She wasn't a nasty girl at all, she only turned bitter after these events. Which was understandable, it's one of the reasons why she didn't trust Bernice at first because Maya fooled her into thinking she was normal and look what happened there. She didn't want her daddy all to herself, she just could no longer trust a woman in his life; it took her months to even give Bernice a chance.

"Are you okay?" Leanna asked him. Putting her arm around him however he pushed her away quite quickly.

"Yeah I'm fine...Why do you care anyway?"

"Maybe cause they were being jerks and I don't like seeing people getting bullied like that"

"At least they insult me to my face" Damian abruptly said.

Leaving Leanna confused, that was directed to her. Though she doesn't understand where he got that idea from. She wouldn't talk about him behind his back, she had nothing against Damian. In fact, she deemed him as a friend.

"What do you mean?" Leanna asked.

"You figure it out" Damian answered; walking away.

...

24th December 2016

"You Alex's mum, dad and sister?" the nurse asked with a big smile.

They were visiting little Alex for Christmas, he was two years old now. He was currently in his blue little wheelchair. Excited for mummy and daddy and big sister Leanna's visit, they had presents the carer would tell the toddler.

"Yes...We are here for Alex Cavanagh" Liam answered.

"He's been excited all week, keeps asking for you all...And Santa of cause"

"Well we been excited too"

"Follow me then"

Liam and Leanna were out in front, they seemed eager to see him. Though Maya just didn't, she seemed so distant. She did love her son in her own way but children and her don't mix very well. Besides, she just had this unrealistic image of what her first son (the first Alexander) would have been like, the perfect child. None of her babies after this could live up to that image, it wasn't because he was disabled; she would have been like this with any child of hers. So they came into the room where he was, a nurse was crouched on the floor besides him. He was playing with some snowman teddy bear.

"Look...your daddy and mummy and big sister are here" the nurse told him in an over-exaggerated manner.

The toddler looked over, trying to make his wheelchair turn around with his little arms. Liam was the first to go over as always. He bent down to give his son the biggest hug, Leanna being the second as she gave him a hug afterwards. The only one left was Maya as always and she didn't even walk closer.

"Mummy!" Alex called over; he understood she was his mother; the nurses always made sure the very small children didn't get confused over that.

Though Maya still didn't walk over.

"He's asking for you" Liam spoke up firmly.

Maya though just ended up walking out in tears. The nurses just presumed it was because it was getting too tough to handle, they seen that plenty of times. Though the truth was, she seen him and thought of Damian's mother. If anybody did what she's doing to her son then she would be just as angry as any parent. She had this same thought when the policewoman on the hill shown her a picture of her son. So she killed herself because she knew she couldn't stay away from Jacob when she was alive and she thought of her own children. Thus why she did it really, the guilt was already killing her and she just finished the job. One of the nurses came out.

"Are you okay?" she asked her.

"Yeah...Sorry, I just feel awful; seeing him in there. I'm such a bad mother"

"No you're not, Maya. You know there are some children in here who don't even get to see their parents at all. The fact you're even here and willing to see him is a start, don't get yourself down. It's okay, you couldn't cope and you asked for our help...It's what we are here for"

"I know"

"You're a teacher aren't you? You know how it is, we just gotta do our best for the kids in our care. Alex is really settled in here and he's making such great progress. You will be ready one day, I promise you"

Though this just made her shake her head, no; she didn't do the best for the kids in her care.

"No...I'm a terrible person" Maya cried.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I can't look after my own son"

"Not everyone can, a disabled child is a big responsibility. Alex really wants to see you and he doesn't think you're a bad person. He just wants his mummy. Now go back inside and just be there, that's all he's asking"

This made her breathe in slightly as she returned. Alex was currently showing his daddy and sister his snowman teddy. Maya finally walking over to him as she sat on the chair besides him and gently lifted her son from his wheelchair, placing him on her knee. The toddler leaned against her.

"I got a snowman, mummy" Alex told her with excitement.

"I can see that, yes...Well I got you some other presents too, daddy and Leanna are going to get two of them now" Maya cooed.

"Yes...You get some now and the rest tomorrow from Santa" Liam exclaimed with a small smile.

He looked at Leanna and gestured for the girl to follow him and this she did. He could sort of see that Maya just wanted to be with their son alone. She just rocked him like what she did when he was first born. Alex keeping hold of her, he couldn't move his legs. Only his arms and so he was using those to keep himself there.

"You been good?" Maya asked him.

"Yes! Mummy...I been...Good!"

"As good as gold" the same nurse from before chimed in.

She was happy to see Maya finally interacting with the small child. This would actually be one of the last few times she seen him however. Liam and Leanna never stopped visiting him but Maya sadly stopped in 2017, the following year. Which was purely because whenever she seen him, she felt guilt and disgust with herself. Maya couldn't cope with feeling those things anymore. So the poor child had no idea his mummy's visits would only be fleeting after this.

...

TBC