the thought of this happening was primarily one of the reasons lizzie hadn’t wanted to have children in the first place.

when she and hughie had properly sat down and discussed the idea of children, the idea of lizzie passing down the bipolar genetic to a child was the main thing that put her off. she didn’t want a child to experience what she went through from a young age, and while mental health had progressed a lot since lizzie’s diagnosis, the idea still concerned her.

but she had wanted a child, and so did hughie. so they had your older brother, niall, and then they had you.

and everything was good, for a long time.

but then lizzie started to notice things. her daughter, usually quiet, was vibrant. lizzie was pretty introverted her whole life, and she was happy that her daughter seemed to inherit those attributes. but things were starting to change.

lizzie noticed how you were more confident, happier. and lizzie wouldn’t find it suspicious, other than the fact that you were also irritable, and as she hears you walk around at night, she realises you aren’t sleeping.

she mentioned it to hughie, who agreed that the symptoms you were exhibiting were similar to those of lizzie’s when she was your age and in a manic state, and the guilt was insane. the idea of knowing that she was the reason that you were dealing with this wasn’t a burden that was easy to carry. however, she also saw it as an opportunity to grow and do better than her mam and dad had when she was diagnosed.

she was going to make sure you were safe.

which is why, right now, she’s watching you bake a cake. you’ve never showed an interest in baking previously, and lizzie knows. knows this is the mania making you feel like you can complete any task, and you’re determined to do so. she knows interfering may only worsen your symptoms, so she sits and watches you bake a cake.