When Love Turned To Cruelty

ttered after a moment, his voice ret

a finger to my lips, my hear

ing room, the cartoon music

r, Ethan walked in

up? I thought you'

ture of a doting h

e back. "Leo wanted

trange to my own e

air. "Hey, sport. How'

han, his one good eye wide, filled with

quickly covered it. "Tire

Leo flinch away

asleep, or pretending to be, E

ig day," he said, his

, unable

bout Leo' s age. They' ve just moved back to the city. Maybe they could come stay wit

names were like a

hem here. I

y of it sto

, he' d be suspicious. I ne

ice," I managed, my vo

reat! I knew you

head slightly, and his lips brushed m

as asleep, I sl

m. He was awake, sta

" he wh

his hair. "It' s okay, baby

.." Leo' s vo

own voice broke. "We' re l

face set with a new, h

w and pulled out a thin, b

by Ethan. "To write down all the good things,

it, his little

ar out the pag

, detailing Ethan' s hollow acts of k

ps," he whispered, tears stream

: "Daddy promised to build the biggest L

er fluttered

burying his face in my shoulde

, my own tears f

his hair, my heart shattering

fierce. "I want to go, Mommy. I