For Life

Part 2

Dec drifted in and out of sleep that night,unable to switch off from everything that had happened with Sebastian and woke up crying over and over again.

Eventually,morning arrived and after what was no more than yet another short,light nap,Dec awoke to find his mother sitting on his bed.

"I don't want to talk about it" he snapped before Anne even had a chance to utter a single word.

"Ok" Anne replied.

Dec stared at his mother,was she just going to sit there in silence for God knows how long?

Nothing would surprise him where his mother was concerned though.

She was such a huge part of his life,even though he was now an adult.

She was a dressmaker by trade and made all of Dec's stage outfits and even came on tour with him.

Declan Donnelly was definitely a family business,as well as Anne's involvement,two of his sisters also worked with him,with Pat being an artist who designed his album covers and Camelia being his stylist.

But all that was irrelevant at this precise moment as he felt himself getting more and more agitated by his mother's presence.

"Please leave me alone Mum" he said.

"Ok" Anne repeated,but stayed perched on the bed.

"I know what you're doing" Dec muttered into his pillow.

"Do you now?" Anne smiled softly "and what might that be?"

Dec sat up in bed and glared at Anne.

"You think if you sit here long enough" Dec stated "then I'll open up to you,well you should know me well enough by now to know that ain't gonna happen"

"Oh,I definitely know you Declan" Anne nodded.

"Please mum" Dec sighed "I just want to go back to sleep"

"I just wanted to check you're ok" Anne said softly "I'll kill that bastard for hurting you...whatever he did"

Anne's statement didn't surprise Dec.

She was a strong Lebanese woman and didn't take any shit from anyone,she was also fiercely protective of her kids,they were her life and she would also give her life for any one of them.

She was the one who had recognised Dec's talent from when he was a very young age,pushing him to be the best he could possibly be,although as a child he didn't understand why he was made to do singing practice every day for hours on end when his siblings didn't have to.

He would cry and cry,not wanting to do it,but Anne wouldn't give him a break until he had done what she asked.

"You will sing that whole song for me" she would say "and you can cry all you like,you're not leaving this room until you've done it"

Dec would often wince at the memory,but as he got older,he began to understand why Anne had done things the way she had.

She knew he had an exceptional talent,even as a young child and Dec was now a complete perfectionist when it came to his music,although Anne had been and still was totally obsessed with him being the best there was.

He also played the piano,which he had to practice every day as a child,which he also hated,once at the age of seven,he wrote a piece of music he had titled 'Angry' which was basically just him thumping the piano keys in a feeble attempt to get back at his mother.

But now,he just wished she'd go away and leave him alone.

"I'm going to the toilet" he muttered,while walking past her.