Chapter 221: Greg’s Plan (3)
"Can I come, Mommy? Please? Please? Please!" Dylan’s small voice cracked with desperation as he stood on the cold floor, his wide, pleading eyes following Cammy’s every move while she stood in front of the mirror, dabbing on the last touches of her makeup.
Cammy paused, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for her lipstick. She glanced at her son through the reflection.
His messy hair, his little pajamas, the heartbreak etched in his furrowed brows. Her chest tightened.
"No, sweetheart. You can’t come," she said gently but firmly, trying to steady the emotion rising in her throat. "Besides, it’s your last day here. You should spend it with Grandpa, okay?"
Dylan’s shoulders slumped. He clenched his tiny fists at his sides, a storm of confusion swirling in his eyes. "But Uncle Greg will be there. Why can’t I go too?"
Cammy turned to face him, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She knelt down and softly pinched his cheek, as if the touch could soothe the sting of rejection.
"Because we’re going somewhere important," she said, her tone half-playful, half-apologetic. "And kids aren’t allowed there."
"Is it because of work?" Dylan asked, his voice barely above a whisper—hope clinging to each syllable.
Cammy let out a soft chuckle, but her heart was breaking. He always blamed "work" when he didn’t understand why adults kept secrets. And today, she didn’t have the strength to give him the truth.
"Yes, honey. It’s because of work," she lied, brushing a kiss against his forehead. "So I need you to be a big boy today, alright? Look after Grandpa and Grandma while I’m gone."
Dylan nodded solemnly, but the smile he forced onto his lips nearly shattered her.