"You're just in time for dinner," Mr Wolff said as he spotted his sons. He noticed that Alex had been crying. "Are you ok, Alex?"

"Yeah," Alex lied quietly. Mr Wolff could tell that Alex wasn't ok, but he knew that Alex would only tell anyone anything if he wanted to, so he didn't push it further.

Mr Wolff served the boys their dinner before sitting at the table to join them. Alex poked half heartedly around the plate, he didn't feel like eating.

"So how was school today Al… Nat?" Mr Wolff said changing the direction of the question when he saw Nat violently shake his head.

"It was good, we get to go to the Statue of Liberty tomorrow," Nat said pleased that he had avoided setting Alex off again.

Nat and Mr Wolff talked and ate until they were finished. They noticed Alex hadn't eaten anything.

"Alex, you won't get any desert until you've finished you dinner," Mr Wolff said looking at Alex's plate.

"I don't care, I'm not hungry," Alex said as his stomach growled.

"Alex, what's the problem?" Mr Wolff said seriously.

Nat just shook his head violently to Alex, he didn't want Alex to set himself off again.

"I have a tummy bug," Alex lied again.

"Do you want to go to bed?" Mr Wolff asked his son kindly.

Alex just nodded.

"Get yourself ready and I will tuck you in," Mr Wolff said as both he and Alex stood up.

Mr Wolff went and looked in the medicine cabinet as he heard Alex brushing his teeth. He grabbed a thermometer and went into Alex's room.

"Where's Ted?" Alex asked quietly but frustrated, he was just on the bed.

"Who?" Mr Wolff asked confused.

"Ted, Ted E Bear" Alex said getting agitated.

"Here he is Alex," Mr Wolff said picking him up of the dresser and giving him to Alex. Alex clung tightly to the bear as he climbed into bed. His pillow felt a bit damp from where he had cried into it.

Mr Wolff stroked his son's hair making sure to feel his forehead as he did. It didn't feel hot, but he put the thermometer in Alex's mouth just to be sure. When he checked it, he was surprised to see it reading normal.

"Night Alex, if you need anything just call out," Mr Wolff said kissing Alex on the forehead before tucking him in.

"Night dad," Alex quietly still clinging onto Ted E Bear.

Mr Wolff turned out the light and closed the door leaving it slightly open as he left.

"Did Alex have a bad day at school?" Mr Wolff asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think so," Nat said evasively, he didn't want his dad to start hurting again.

"I'll have a talk to his teacher tomorrow," Mr Wolff said.

When Nat woke the next morning he woke to the sounds of Alex sobbing into his pillow. Nat rolled over and hung off the side of the bed to look at his brother. True to the sound Alex was crying into his pillow tightly hugging Ted E Bear.

"What's the matter Alex?" Nat asked his younger brother.

Alex rolled over and looked up at Nat as tears rolled down his checks.

"I had a bad dream," Alex sobbed,

Nat got down from the top bunk and sat beside his brother putting an arm around him.

"What happened?" Nat asked, trying to get Alex to talk about it.

Alex sat up allowing Nat to hug him easier.

"No one would play with me," Alex sobbed sniffing heavily, "They said that they wouldn't play with me because I don't have a mom,"

"Don't worry Alex, it was just a dream," Nat said comforting his brother, he was still surprised at how much this bothered Alex. Alex didn't even know her.

Eventually Nat calmed down Alex and helped him get ready for school, Nat also helped Alex pack for the sleepover he was having and his friend Jefferies house.

After breakfast, their dad walked them down to school, when they got there Alex and Nat went of to join the rest of the band, Cooper, David, Thomas and Josh.

"Hey Nat," Joshes step sister Rosalina said as she walked passed.

"Top of the morning to you," Nat said in his English accent before going red.

Mr Wolff walked into the school, and went to Alex's classroom, where his teacher was getting ready.

"Mr Wolff, sorry about yesterday, I didn't realize." Mrs Thorpe said as he entered the class room.

"Realize what?" Mr Wolff asked confused.

"Alex didn't tell you?" Mrs Thorpe said looking a bit worried.

"Tell me what?" Mr Wolff asked.

"Yesterday, I had the kids draw pictures and write a story and read it to the class of what they did for their mom's on mothers day," Mrs Thorpe explained.

Mr Wolff's facial expression changed to realization.

"He was last being a W, he just stood there for five minutes before he ran off crying. When I calmed him down and asked him what was wrong, he told me he didn't have a mom."

"She ahh died, when Alex was one and a half," Mr Wolff said uncomfortably. He didn't want to talk about.

"Poor kid, I think you should talk to him, he was pretty upset," Mrs Thorpe said quietly.

"Yeah," Mr Wolff said vacantly he was unsure if he could talk to Alex about this.

Mr Wolff left before school started.

Alex was in a funny mood, he didn't want to do anything anyone wanted him to do. He was really wound up, and although Mrs Thorpe knew why she didn't know what she could do about.

Finally the bell went for recess.

"Yay Recess," A kid called Ryan said jumping to his feet in excitement.

"Playlunch!" Alex shouted him down.

"It's Recess," Ryan said back to Alex.

"Playlunch!" Alex shouted louder and more aggressively.

Ryan grew annoyed and punched Alex in the side of the head, hitting just below Alex's hairline. For a five year old it was a hard punch. Alex's head pounded and he began to sob.

Mrs Thorpe came over and separated the two, on any other day Alex would have flattened him or try to anyway.

"Ryan wait for me outside," Mrs Thorpe ordered. Before giving Alex her undivided attention.

"It's ok Alex," She said soothingly, "Let me have a look," She moved Alex's hand from where he was holding his head., there was a small cut there and it would no doubt swell up.

"Do you want some ice for it?" Mrs Thorpe asked sweetly.

Alex just nodded and allowed himself to be led away.

After school the next day, Alex came home he was just as upset as he was the day before. Alex ran into his room dropping his bag before throwing himself on his bed and tightly hugging Ted E Bear and sobbing into his pillow.

"What's the matter Alex?" Nat asked as he followed Alex in.

"I now know what I'm missing out on," Alex sobbed into the pillow.

"Alex," Nat said trying to comfort Alex.

"Why don't we have a mom?" Alex screamed into the pillow, no one had answered that question yet, "did she die, did she run away, was she abducted by aliens?"

Nat was frustrated, he knew he would have to be the one to tell Alex, he didn't want to, he missed his mom so much it drove him mad. The only thing that kept him sane was his music, something his mom had started to teach him before she died.

"Alex, mom died," Nat said quietly finally working up the courage to tell his little brother. It stung him so much as it brought back such a painful truth.

Alex howled louder into the pillow, he knew that there was no chance that he would ever get to know his mom.

Mr Wolff come to the sound of his son screaming his gut's out.

"What's the matter Alex," Mr Wolff said trying to comfort his son.

Alex didn't say anything but continued to scream into his pillow. Nat didn't know what to do.

"He wanted to know where mom was," Nat said helplessly.

Mr Wolff looked annoyed at Nat, as though this was all his fault, before he went over tried to comfort Alex.

"Come on Alex, she's in a better place…" Mr Wolff said hollowly, his heart wasn't into talking about his wife.

"NO! SHE'S DEAD," Alex screamed as loudly as he could before burying himself in the pillow again.

"Calm down, Alex, please." Nat pleaded desperately. He lay down beside Alex and tightly hugged him. It took another two hours to finally calm Alex down.