Anne Donnelly smiled as her husband and six kids entered the hospital room.

"Come and meet your new brother" she beckoned to them "isn't he perfect?"

"Oh Mam" Patricia gasped "he's so tiny"

She placed her finger into the babys tiny hand as the gorgeous bundle of joy wrapped his fingers around it.

"I'm gonna be his second Mammy" she announced proudly "I'll help you with everything.I'll change his nappies,feed him,play with him,sing to him and cuddle him"

"I know you will pet" Anne laughed "you are the best big sister anyone could wish for"

"Mam,what's he called?" Martin enquired excitedly.

"This" Anne stated proudly "is Declan Joseph Oliver Donnelly"

"Good strong names" Fonsey smiled "for a good,strong boy"

He took Declan from Annes arms and gazed at him lovingly.

"You,my boy are something special,you're going to go far,I can see that already"

He kissed his newest childs forehead lovingly before passing him back to his mother.

After a good hour of Declan being passed around and cooed over,Fonsey could tell both his wife and new baby desperately needed some rest.

"Ok,you lot,wait at reception and I'll be out soon to take you home"

They all kissed their Mam and new brother goodbye.

"Say goodbye to your brothers and sisters Decky" Anne whispered.

"Decky?" Fonsey laughed "you've got a pet name for him already?"

"Well,look at him" Anne replied "he's way too cute not to have a pet name"

"Fair enough " Fonsey smiled "you really are in love with him aren't you?"

"I certainly am" she smiled at her adoring husband "I know he'll be my last baby,so he'll always be special no matter how old he gets.I can't wait to be his Mammy.My family is now complete.I'm so lucky,I've got you,the kids and now Decky is the icing on the cake,there's nothing else I need"

"You're right of course" Fonsey agreed "we're the perfect family.I just hope Patricia lets you get a look in with him,you know how much she loves babies?"

Patricia was fourteen years old and couldn't wait to help with Declan.Anne and Fonsey knew how besotted she was likely to be with him.

"She's such a good girl" Anne smiled

"Yeah she is" Fonsey replied and kissed Anne and Declan goodbye.

Once alone with her Decky,Anne bent her knees as she relaxed into the hospital pillows and laid the tiny baby against them.

She took in every little feature of her precious newborn,breathing in his smell while tracing a gentle finger around his adorable face.

"You are special Decky" Anne smiled "I've felt it since I first found out I was carrying you"

She ran a smooth finger over his chubby cheeks,down his cute button nose and around his sweet rosebud lips,so filled with love for this precious bundle.

Anne was certainly right,Dec was a very special child.He was an amazingly contented baby,hardly ever crying.He walked and talked earlier than any of his siblings and everyone remarked on how cute,funny and happy he was.

Time flew by in the Donnelly household and before they knew it,it was Decs first day at infant school.

"Look at you Decky" Anne smiled as she helped him into his school uniform,her eyes welling up with tears as Fonsey and Patricia came into the room.

"Look at him" Anne tearfully told them "he looks so tiny"

"He'll be fine" Fonsey assured her "he may be a little titch,but he has a big personality,everyone will adore him just as we do"

"Can I come with you to take him to school Mam?" Pat asked,she was 19 now and had left school and started a part time job and true to her word when Dec was born,she had become his second mum.

She bent down and stroked his cheek.

"Look at you handsome boy,all grown up in your school uniform,got a cuddle for your big sister?"

Dec launched himself into Pats arms and hugged her tightly,he was always such an affectionate little boy.

"Come on then" Anne said to Patricia "let's go,can't have him being late on his first day"

The whole family left the house together,the kids going off to their schools after wishing Dec luck and hugging him goodbye.

Fonsey,Anne and Patricia all escorted Dec to his class.They watched as he bounded towards the toy box he spotted in the corner of the classroom.

Many of the other kids were in complete meltdown at their looming separation from their parents as they tried to leave,but not Dec.

He was in his element as the plastic dinosaurs in his hands were already fighting a desperate battle with each other.

"Guess I thought he might miss his old Mam a little bit" Anne stated sadly,trying to hold back the tears.

"Aww he will" Fonsey assured her while rubbing her back.

"He's just excited,it's all new to him,he's caught up in the moment,he might not be so keen once he realises he has to go every day"

"Yeah,that's true" Anne laughed "I'm just going to miss my baby"

"I know you will" Fonsey smiled "let's leave him to settle in"

They said goodbye to Dec who wasn't bothered one bit about them leaving,he was too engrossed in the toy cars he'd moved on to.

Anne made her way home as Fonsey and Pat made their way to work.

She busied herself doing housework and gazing at photos of her brood.She couldn't help but clock watch,willing for 3.15 to arrive so she could see her boy and scoop him into her arms.

That time finally came around and she did just that,holding Dec and the other kids who were still at primary school tight.

"Baby,how was your first day at school?" She asked,kissing Decs head.

"I had fun Mammy" he announced happily.

"I played with cars and dinosaurs and look...."

He held up a large sheet of white paper that he'd previously been dragging along the ground.it was basically a big brown splodge of paint.

"It's a castle" he announced proudly.

"Oh baby,it's the most beautiful castle I've ever seen" Anne replied.

"D-E -C-L-A-N" Dec stated thoughtfully.

"What sweetheart?" Anne asked.

"D-E-C-L-A-N" he repeated the sounds of the six letters "that's how you spell my name,D-E-C-L-A-N,Declan"

"That's right baby,that is how you spell your name,you've obviously worked very hard at school today,Mammy is very proud of you"

Anne smiled to herself as she watched Dec skip merrily ahead.

Dec sailed through primary school,becoming a firm favourite with teachers and pupils alike,he always received glowing reports and teachers gushed at parents evenings about what a delight he was to teach.

Soon it was time to start secondary school.

Anne sat on the edge of Decs bed the evening before.She stroked his hair lovingly as he attempted to wriggle away from her motherly fussing.

"How can my baby be going to secondary school already?" She sighed.

"I'm eleven now Mam" Dec smiled.

"I know you are sweetheart,it only seems like yesterday that I was holding my newborn baby in my arms.I love you so much Decky,you know that don't you?"

"Of course I do Mam" he laughed cheekily "you tell me often enough"

"Ah well,it must be true then"

She leant forward and kissed his forehead

"You'll always be my baby"

"I know that too" Dec smiled "but I'll be a teenager in two years"

"Oh don't" Anne sighed "how can my baby be a teenager soon,you're breaking my heart"

Dec laughed and snuggled under the duvet.

"Goodnight Mam"

"Goodnight sweetheart" she replied,kissing him again with a certain amount of sadness,not knowing how much longer he would actually allow her to do this.She just wanted to keep him her little boy forever.

"How's the littlen?" Fonsey asked as Anne made her way back downstairs "nervous?"

"Not at all" she smiled "he's taking it all in his stride as usual"

"He's a confident one,that's for sure" Fonsey stated "I'm glad about that"

Anne just looked at her husband sadly.

"He's growing up,he won't need his Mam much longer,but I'll always need him"

"Hey" Fonsey hugged her affectionately "he'll always need his Mam that one,he'll always be a Mammys boy"

Dec rushed home the next day,throwing the door open and running into his mums arms.

"Hey sweetheart,how was your first day?"

"It was great Mam,the teachers are nice and I did drama,I loved it.Mam,I'm going to be an actor,what do you think?" He cheerfully announced.

Anne couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm.

"Are you now?" She smiled "I think you can be whatever you want to be,you're special Decky"

"Yeah,yeah I know Mam,I'm special and I'm your baby,you've told me a million times" Dec answered cheekily.

Anne just laughed and sent him upstairs to get changed out of his school uniform.

Dec loved the drama lessons and thrived in them,they quickly became his favourite subject.

So naturally,it wasn't long before Dec was auditioning for a part in a programme called Geordie racer,he made it down to the last two boys!

He came so close to landing the part of the main character,but was absolutely devastated when he didn't quite make the cut,the other boy just pipping him to the post.

He sobbed in Anne's arms as if his entire world had come to an end.

"Why aren't I good enough Mam?"

"You are good enough baby"

It broke Anne's heart to see him like this

"But if this is what you want to do,you have to realise that rejection is a big part of it,I know it hurts but there's always going to be serious competition.That absolutely doesn't mean you're no good,you're amazing Decky"

Dec didn't reply,just sobbed sadly in Annes arms until he had no more tears left to shed.

She did actually believe he would grow out of wanting to be an actor eventually and thought that would probably be for the best,but until then,her comforting arms would always be available whenever he needed them.

He sadly didn't breeze through secondary school as easily as he had primary thanks to sickness and puberty hitting him like a ton of bricks!

During his first year,he was hospitalised due to a nasty case of gastric flu.

It broke Annes heart to see her youngest so ill in his hospital bed.She stayed at the hospital with him every day and every night,hating the thought of him ever being there alone.

One advantage was that she did get to take care of him which she loved to do.Holding him in her arms when he felt so ill he couldn't help crying,wiping his sweaty brow and comforting him when he was in pain and scared.

"I love you,my baby" she told him several times a day

"you're going to be just fine"

He soon recovered from his illness and was back at school.Although his health was better,his moods were worse!

He didn't understand what was going on,the changes to his body scared him and he was often moody and tearful.

As well as puberty,he had other things going on that no one else knew about that he had to deal with.

Although confident,Dec was also very sensitive and wore his heart on his sleeve and didn't know how to deal with these new emotions.

"He'll grow out of it" Fonsey told Anne one evening after Dec had stomped up to his room and slammed the door for no obvious reason.

"We've been through this six times before and they all get over it eventually,it's just those raging pre pubescent hormones running wild"

"I know" Anne sighed "but he seems to be suffering so much more than any of his brothers or sisters"

Anne and Fonsey could only hope this was puberty,it would be difficult,but Dec would get through it just like everyone else.

Neither of them could have possibly imagined Decs mood swings were down to the horrendous bullying that he was being subjected to at school,neither of them knew that that was the real reason for his unhappiness!