Chapter 49: The Cost Of Protecting Their Smiles
The room fell silent.
Charlotte stared in her mother direction, her throat tight, unable to say a word. Even Mika, who prided himself on his composure, felt his lips quiver as memories from the past flashed through his mind.
The warmth of their home. The laughter. The fights. The love.
The day he left...and the pain he saw in their eyes as he walked out the door.
And now, standing here, hearing Yelena’s broken yet loving words...he couldn’t help but feel the sharp pang of guilt.
Back then...
He remembered why he had run away.
It wasn’t because he hated them. It wasn’t because he didn’t care. It was because he cared too much.
He was terrified, terrified of the feelings growing inside him.
Feelings that went beyond what a son should feel for his mothers. Feelings that consumed him so completely, he thought they would destroy everything if he let them fester any longer.
He had been too scared to confront them, too weak to face the possibility that he might ruin the delicate, precious bond they all shared.
...So he ran.