Chapter Text
Kids are among the cruellest beings on the planet, Delia Ketchum would wholeheartedly agree.
One look at her son would be all the evidence she needed.
Another bruise, a few more cuts. No doubt, the older children at the daycare had gotten physical with Ash once more.
It was honestly heart-breaking. Ash had been so excited to go to daycare and mingle with peers his age. But very quickly, whatever excitement and brightness in his honey-whiskey eyes had dulled into a pained disillusionment. Ash was always the last to arrive and the first to leave, not wanting to stay in that building any longer than he absolutely had to.
Delia never once blamed him. Why would her son want to stay in such a toxic environment where anything out of the ordinary was treated with fear and contempt?
Ash being mute certainly did not help matters.
As a baby, Ash never made a single noise. Not once did he cry, forcing Delia to pay special attention to ensure his needs were sustained. This put tremendous strain on her marriage. Her husband refused to accept a child who was defective and walked out, leaving her all alone to raise Ash.
It was never easy. Her own parents had disapproved of her marriage and cut her off financially. And the people of Pallet Town saw Ash as the reason for the failure of his parents’ marriage, no matter how much Delia tried to defend her son. They were close-minded, bigoted and prejudiced. There was no compassion and understanding for the Ketchums. It was the town versus them.
Delia put her heart and soul into loving Ash as he absolutely deserved to be loved. But she was human, and she needed help that was hardly ever given to her. There were times, when things got especially bad, that she wondered what she did in her past life to deserve such circumstances, but never once did she blame her son for their predicament. Her son was innocent, and she will never curse someone who did nothing wrong.
It was just so hard.
To Be Continued.