Maria Connor’s (Samia Longchambon) fears surrounding the safety of her family increase so much in
Coronation Street soon, she purchases a video camera to secretly watch Gary Windass (Mikey North)
and son Liam (Charlie Wrenshall).
A few weeks ago in the ITV soap, Maria and Gary discovered that Liam had been googling ways to end his life. After being relentlessly bullied by Mason (Luca Toolan), Dylan (Liam McCheyne) and their gang for months, Liam lost all hope and believed the unthinkable was the only way to stop what he was feeling.
Since then, while Liam has opened up about the bullying and accepted he needs help for his mental health, it hasn’t eased the overwhelming worry Maria has been feeling.
In the initial aftermath, she had a conversation with Gary and they agreed to take turns sleeping on Liam’s bedroom floor, worried about what he may do when left alone.
Spending so much time thinking about her son and his welfare starts to impact other areas of Maria’s life soon, as David (Jack P Shepherd) tells her that if she doesn’t return to work in the next few weeks, Audrey (Sue Nicholls) will look for her replacement.
Maria chats to Gary and says she knows she’ll lose her job if she doesn’t return soon, but doesn’t feel ready to leave Liam.
As Gary speaks to Carla (Alison King) about selling the factory building, he remains unaware Maria has made a concerning purchase online.
In the week, as Maria heads off to work, Gary is left to home-school Liam.
In the salon, Maria and Audrey discuss hairstyle options with a bride to be.
Sneaking a moment to herself, Maria takes a peak at an app on her phone which allows her to watch Gary and Liam in the flat through a hidden camera.
As Maria works on the bride’s hair, she stops to check her camera app and starts to panic when Liam disappears into the bathroom.
After checking her phone again to find that Liam still hasn’t emerged from the bathroom, a worried Maria grabs her bag and rushes out.
Towards the end of the week, it all becomes too much for Maria as she bursts into tears, steals herself, and tells Audrey all about her anxieties.