"Listen baby, I need to talk to you for a minute." Kristin told the small boy bouncing up and down in her lap. She sniffled a little at how happy he was, she just hoped he would still be happy without her.

"Okay!" The little blond chirped back, content to listen to whatever his mother had to say to him.

"This is really hard to say so I need you to look at me, okay?" She said, lightly touching his chin with her delicate, cold fingers and guiding him to look up into her eyes. "You know the way Mummy's sick?" She asked, and at the nod she got, continued on. "Mummy has to-" She had to stop herself from choking on a sob right there, his gorgeous blue eyes staring right back up at her as if she was his everything, his lifeline. (She knew she was, it was easy to tell his father always favoured the twins over him. Even if Tommy didn't know himself as he was still young.)

She took a deep breath and tried again, "Mummy has to go away for a little while, alright?" she informed him, tears swelling up in her eyes as a little pout dusted the child's lips.

"But when will you come back?" He asked, confused. "I don't want to be with Daddy!" he told her, making sure she knew he was upset.

Kristin wishes she could stay. She wishes she could watch her baby learn to ride a bike, score his first football goal, win his first video game and pass his first exam, but she can't. Fate doesn't work like that. And so she's trapped with leaving too soon, leaving her favourite child with a family who doesn't love nor appreciate him at all.

"I'll be back soon, Sunshine. I promise." Holding her finger out for a pinky promise, Kristin never felt this much heartbreak in her life. She knew she wouldn't come back, her illness was getting too strong and the medical treatment kept sky rocketing in price.

Although, the kid didn't seem to realise she was lying and he wrapped his pinky around hers, happily letting himself be comforted by the lie she had just told.

"Okay! Be back soon though, Mummy! I need you when Wilby and Tech'o be mean!" He said with a bright smile, his upset feelings from a few seconds prior promptly washing away after a few whispered words.

She smiled as softly as she could at him, the boy she loved. The boy that looked so much like his father that it pained her. She hoped he wouldn't grow up to be his father, or anything like him at all.

"Of course. I'll always be here, honey. You know that, right?" She asked him, biting on her bottom lip with her front teeth, " even if you can't see me, I'll always be with you, my sweet boy." She cooed, reaching up to run a hand through his soft, freshly washed hair. Which he leaned into with a smile.

"Of course, Mummy!" He giggled, offering her a toothy grin, full of milk teeth that had only just came in a few months ago.

"I love you, Tommy. Don't ever forget that." She whispered into his hair as she planted a kiss onto his head.

"Love you too, Mummy." He whispered back, sleepily. Resting his head onto her chest with a yawn and closing his eyes contently.

And with that, Kristin left her three year old with a neglective family that she wished would just understand the little man's worth.

----

Tommy sighed as he closed his bedroom door, quietly. Stepping on his tiptoes so he could reach the handle and clutching his notebook which was covered in tiny blue and red dinosaurs (that he was pretty sure he only got because one of his older brothers didn't want it and wanted to through it out) tightly in the hand that he wasn't turning the door knob with.

He had ran off to his room again today as his father was going out of his way to ignore him. (Thinking it was probably the better way to deal with it rather than making a scene like he might have done two years prior. He was a big six year old now, afterall. He had to be responsible.)

sitting down onto his soft bed, he grabbed a pen from his bedside table and starting just writing absolute nonsense that came to mind. He didn't know how to write very many words (even though his year one teacher called him smart for his age!) and struggled a bit but he managed to write a little about what he was feeling.

He smiled, writing about what he was feeling was actually nice. Even though it was just words like "mad" or "upset" written over again on the lined paper, it made him feel a little better.

He decided he'd do this more often.

----

Tommy's eighth birthday was coming up soon when he finished his first notebook, filling it to the very brim of words angrily sprawled across thin paper, holding every feeling he ever felt towards his ever growing distant family.

He wondered if he dared ask for a new one for his birthday. He knew he hasn't celebrated his birthday since his mum and he knew that she was never coming back (even though she promised. He's still mad at her for promising). It's not like he didn't want to celebrate his birthday, because he did. He guessed they just either forgot or simply ignored it, pretending to have something better to do than spend time with a child just one day a year.

What's the worst that could happen if he asked for a notebook? Dad says no? His brothers got loads of expensive stuff for their birthdays, surely he could get something that could probably be found around around ninety-nine pence.

So Tommy made up his mind, he was going to go ask his dad for a notebook for his birthday.

Walking down the hallway to his dad's office, he tried to mentally hype himself up. Muttering words of encouragement to himself quietly, hoping nobody would overhear.

Who knew asking somebody for a notebook for their birthday would be so scary?

When Tommy got to his dad's office, he was ashamed to admit that he kind of stood there for a good few minutes staring at the door in complete fear.

Hands shaking, he knocked the door once, twice, and let his arm drop to his side again. Breathing out to try to relax his body. (it was just his dad, why was he so scared?)

The door flew open and Tommy thought about just running and hiding under his bed but he ultimately he decided to stay and be a big man (he was almost eight, that's like the oldest he's ever been!).

His dad paused, frowning upon seeing Tommy, probably expecting one of his brothers instead. And wow that hurt a little but Tommy was a big man so it didn't matter.

"What do you want? I'm busy." His father asked in a gruff voice, gesturing inside where he could see various papers lying around on the desk as if to emphasize his point that he was, in fact, busy.

"Uhm." Tommy started awkwardly. He's never really properly spoken to his dad so he doesn't know how to interact with him appropriately. "I was thinking, since my birthday's coming up, you could maybe buy me a notebook, please? My old one ran out." Tommy said, trying to keep his voice sounding brave and not as if it would drown in a milimetre of water.

"Is it?" Phil asked, checking the calender on his wall, (he didn't even have Tommy's birthday marked on it, ouch.) before turning back to Tommy with a weird look on his face. "I suppose if you don't bother me for this whole week before it, I'll buy you a stupid notebook or something." he said with an annoyed sigh, "now if you'll excuse me, I have work to be doing. Bills don't pay themselves, you know?" And with that he slammed the door in Tommy's face.

Though, Tommy was too busy to care about that. His dad was actually going to buy him something! This is like the most exciting thing ever!

So celebrating his huge victory, Tommy ran back to his room and scooped up Henry the cow and began humming happily.

----

When Tommy was eleven, he started secondary school. Straight away, he fell in love with his english teacher, Mr Awe (not literally of course). He just loved the way he teached, obviously with full passion for the subject. Tommy also loved his drama teacher, Mr Quackity. He was a lovely man (albeit a bit over the top sometimes) and taught in such a way nobody could ever dream of comparing too.

He was sat at the front in english, which most people would probably find annoying, but he didn't really mind. It meant that he could pay attention better as he found himself enjoying the subject more and more with each passing day.

He was getting straight A's all throughout the year and was very proud of himself.

Although, when he tried to show his family they all said they had better things to do than talk to a child.

So, he came to school very dejected the next day.

Of course, Mr Awe noticed straight away, he and Tommy had built somewhat of a relationship during the few months he had been attending the school.

Being the caring teacher he is, he asked Tommy to stay behind after class to ask him what's up.

"It's just my family I guess." Tommy mumbled upset.

"What's wrong with your family?" Mr Awe asked, feeling confused.

"I don't think it's what's wrong with them, I'm beginning to think it's what's wrong with me." Tommy answered, not looking up to meet his teacher's eyes.

"What do you mean by that, Tommy?" The older asked, spinning around in his chair to show Tommy that he had his full attention and would be listened to.

"It's just- like- I show them how well I'm doing in school and they don't even care! Like aren't parents meant to be proud of their children or something? That's what I hear but my dad is never proud of me! It's always 'Wilbur this' or 'Techno that' but it's never about Tommy! Am I not good enough for them or something?" Tommy blurted out before he could stop himself. It was like once he got one word out, the rest just came tumbling after. He had waited his whole life to get this off his chest and he had finally found a willing listener.

"Tommy, look at me, Sweetheart." Mr Awe told him, smiling sweetly. Once he saw he had his attention, he continued on, "I saw you're scores. You are doing so exceptionally great and I am proud of you. Screw your family, I am so impressed of how far you've come in such short time."

Tommy felt something tug at his heart strings and then his eyes started watering up. He tried to hurriedly bring his arm up to wipe the upcoming tears away before they could start to fall but a hand stopped him. Mr Awe was staring at him with something akin to sympathy in his eyes and held out his arms, gesturing for a hug.

Tommy slid into his open arms, hugging somebody for the first time in eight years, and he let the tears fall. Knowing he was safe in these arms.