It was 1pm whenever Zoë woke up beside Martin on the sofa. Squinting with a headache, she looked over at Martin who's eyes gradually opened.
"Morning." She said, blankly smiling.
"Afternoon." Replied Martin, looking up at the clock.
"Coffee?" Suggested Zoë.
"Oh yes." Sighed Martin, rubbing his eyes and standing up. "Mind if I use your bathroom?"
"First on the left." Directed Zoe, boiling the kettle.
"Thanks." Replied Martin, walking into the grey bathroom.
He looked in the mirror, splashing his face with cold water before he stared himself in the eyes.
This laterally inverted version of him displayed a face so tight it looked like it was going to burst. The brown stubble forming around his jawline had grown and his eyes began to water again.
It was starting to sink in.
Martin was all-too familiar with the process of grief. The first day has the initial shock. After a short nap you feel okay but the next day is horrible.
Martin remembered those golden moments with Martha and Emily by the beach. He watched them flying a kite, building sandcastles. He watched her grow.
Now all those moments were gone. All those precious memories were lost. They were both dead.
It then occurred to him that he had no family left. His parents died several years ago, he had only one sibling who lived far away, no wife or children.
He had no one to love him and no one to love.
Suddenly he felt how Emily must have felt. Knowing she isn't loved and that she didn't love anyone either.
Martha was the only thing that kept Emily and Martin alive. And now that they were both gone.. he didn't know if he could keep on going.
Martin walked out of the bathroom with tears rolling down his face.
Zoe looked over at him with sympathy. Putting the coffee cup on the table.
"Hey. Just sit down." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Martin sat down, a wave of nausea hit him,
"It's starting to sink in isn't it." She deduced, handing him the coffee.
"I- I don't think I've got anything left to live for anymore." He told her, unblinking.
"Why?" She asked, putting her hand on his back.
"Three months ago I lost my daughter." He said, "and she was the most perfect.. perfect child."
"Martin I-"
"Every single day I go into work and see hundreds of kids. All I can think of is Martha and what she could have grown up to be."
Zoe had no idea what to say to that. Her mouth was still opened. This man just lost his whole family.
"I-I'll leave now.." He said, "I-I'm sorry.."
"What..." she began, "Please.. please god I'm sorry! Don't leave. Stay as long as you need please." She practically begged as Martin walked back towards the guest room.
"I'll be back at work on Monday morning." Said Martin. "I'll book the minibus in advance for three weeks time." He began to do up his shirt again.
"Martin. You need more time to think." Zoë told him,
"I don't want more time to think." He repelled. Pointing to his face, "this is what happens when I think."
Martin opened the front door.
"Thanks for letting me stay." He said.
"Martin.." said Zoe.
Martin looked back at her,
"Don't hurt yourself, Martin. You've got so much to live for."
Martin looked down, blankly smiling back at her before closing the door.

****

Lucy turned on the lights of the music classroom on Monday morning. It was just 7am. Nobody would be in for at least another hour.
She plonked her bag on the ground and took out her bass guitar, practicing a couple of her pieces.
She had left her house early in the morning to avoid contact with her parents: her parents were hard on her. Her mother was very unwell and her father was upset about it, which made him angry. As she was an only child, she was the one who her dad let his anger out on. She understood him, but she couldn't take anymore negative comments. Over the weekend he had hurt her, Lucy knew that he regretted it. The broad man clasped her arm, she was shocked with his force. Now she had a significant purple bruise across her forearm.
"Lucy?" Called someone from behind her.
Mr McCafferson protruded from the doorway,
"What are you doing here?" He asked, putting his bags on the table.
"May I ask you the same question?" Lucy responded, surprised by his entrance.
"You're in an hour early."
"Your wife just died."
Martin sat down and narrowed his eyes, shocked at her bluntness.
"What's up with you?" He asked, annoyed by her attitude.
"Sorry. I came in an hour early to get away from people for a while, but apparently so did you." Sighed Lucy, sitting down on a desk.
Martin realised that something was wrong, so he sat down beside her.
"Tell me what's up." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head, "it's really nothing."
"It's something." He corrected,
"It's nothing compared to what you've gone through." She said. As she raised her hands Martin noticed the bruise on her arm.
"What's that?" He asked, tentatively touching her hand and pulling up her sleeve.
"Did someone do this to you?!" He asked, staring at the huge purple bruise.
Lucy looked down. "Please don't talk to Mrs Watson or get social services or anything.." she asked,
"Of course not. Tell me as a friend, not a teacher." Said Martin, worried about Lucy.
"My mum's dying of Huntington's disease.. and my dad.. he's annoyed by all of it. He didn't mean to grab me that hard, I saw it in his eyes." Said Lucy, her eyes beginning to water.
"Hey..." began Mr McCafferson, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You're such a strong girl, and you'll get through this." He told her,
"I don't know what's worse.. I go to bed every night wondering if she'll be alive by the morning. I know she's gonna die soon.."
Martin felt himself tense with sadness as Lucy broke into tears. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her,
"I'm sorry about your wife." She said, not knowing about Martha,
"It's okay." He replied, a tear falling from his eye.
After about ten seconds the hug broke apart.
Martin looked straight ahead, giving a big exhale as he wiped the tear,
"Whoa.. that got deep." He said, taking a gulp of water from a bottle then handing it to Lucy.
"Y-Yeah.." She replied, laughing slightly as she took a sip of the water and wiped her eyes.
"If there's anything that I can do.."  Martin said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Lucy smiled and nodded as Cloda walked in the room.
Martin could see that Lucy didn't want Cloda to see her in tears.
"Hey Cloda!" He greeted, "could you do me a favour?"
"Sure." Said Cloda,
Martin gave her a sheet of manuscript paper.
"Could you photocopy thirty of these?" He asked, "it's for the first years.. my code is 29701."
"29701.." repeated Cloda, walking back out of the room.
"Thanks." Said Lucy, checking herself on the front camera of her phone.
"Morning sir! Morning Luce!" Entered Ryan, walking in the door with drumsticks at hand.
"Heya Ryan!" Greeted Martin, taking a gulp of coffee, before it hit Ryan.
"Wait- sir?" Questioned Ryan, remembering what happened on Friday. "Your wife-"
"Don't. Just don't." Said Martin, his attitude quickly changing.
"Morning guys." Entered Ollie with Jemma beside him,
Martin smiled back at them before Zoë Flynn walked in the door.
Zoe was surprised to see Martin at work today. She couldn't quite bring herself to do her usual "morning band!" Her eyes were fixed on Martin.
"Hi.." she said, feeling anxious after seeing him at his worst over the weekend.
"Hi." Responded Martin, staring at her.
"I feel like you two have a personal connection now," intruded Ryan, pointing a drum stick at his teachers. "Did something happen?" He asked before it clicked, "oh crap sorry.."
"You really choose your moments Ryan." Muttered Ollie, taking out his guitar and glancing over at Jemma who was struggling to set up the keyboard stand.
"Hey- need a hand?" He offered, Jemma smiled, "yes please! Could you hold the keyboard as i put this in position?" She asked,
"Sure." He said, taking the keyboard from her hands, for a split second their hands touched, both of them tensed before they quickly set up the keyboard.
"Sir you shouldn't be in today." Said Ryan bluntly.
Martin looked up from his computer in shock.
"You have no right to say that to me." He responded,
"I have a right to speak."
"Ryan don't." Said Cloda,
"Your wife just died." Continued Ryan,
"I know." Said Martin, trying to refrain.
"You are in no condition to teach us. You're not in the frame of mind. You can't use us as a way to forget your wife."
"Ryan!" Shouted Zoe.
"No miss! We saw him!" Yelled Ryan, "we saw you in your car on Thursday afternoon with your wife. We saw you kiss her, we saw you both crying."
"This is none of your business." Growled Martin, disgusted.
"We saw your wife! She was in tears! She was trying to get away from you! Next day she commits suicide!"
"Ryan shut the hell up!" Yelled Ollie,
"No! No because we are going on a school trip with this man for a month!" Continued Ryan.
"What the hell is this?!" Shouted Martin, horrified. "What is your aim?! What do you want me to do?! Kill myself?! I can do that!"
"Martin.." injected Zoe, scared.
"Explain why you made your wife cry the day before she killed herself! Explain why you took off your ring the day before she died!"
Martin stood still. Disgusted.
"How dare you?!" Said Martin, looking around at everyone, absolutely horrified. "How dare you.. I am entitled to my privacy, I should be able to have an argument without someone being stared at by students, I should be able to kiss someone without being stared at by students, I should be able to come into work after loosing everything without someone telling me it was all my fault!" Martin began to lose energy, "I thought she'd commit suicide. I didn't want her to but I knew it was inevitable. She was in a horrible place." He sighed,
"Why didn't you help her?" Asked Ryan, still standing sternly.
"Because I was in a horrible place too." Martin replied.
"Why were you in such a horrible place?" Asked Ryan, everyone, even his friends looked at him in disgust.
"Get out." Muttered Martin, unblinking.
Ryan stood up, lifting his bags he walked out, closing the door shut.