Page 121 of Unravelling The Beast

My heart breaks because I know I'll never see, hear, or smell him again after today.

"Aunt Sara will pick you up so you can spend the afternoon with her, okay?"

“Okay..”

I take him downstairs just as the doorbell rings, and I walk towards it with him still on my hip.

When I open it, there's Sara, and I wear a fake smile.

She immediately smiles at Cree.

"Hey, Cree, baby!"

I peer down at him as he smiles at her, then quickly glance away because I'm afraid I'll start sobbing again. I promised myself I would be here for this little boy, yet here I am, leaving against my will and I feel fucking terrible.

Before I speak, I clear my throat.

"He's only just woken up from his afternoon nap, so he'll be fully awake and energetic for you."

She now smiles at me, but I feel I'm not ready to let go of him just yet.

"How about I walk you to Aunt Sara's car?"

“Okay!”

As we leave, I take one more glance inside the dark, gloomy mansion before closing the door behind me.

We walk together down the path until we reach Sara's car. I unlock the back door and I can feel myself becoming devastated as I strap him into his seat.

"Will you be coming to get me later, Wren?"

I kiss his forehead and linger for a moment before whispering with a quiver in my throat.

"Daddy will come and get you, okay?"

He smiles up at me as I step back.

"I love you, Wren. I'll see you later."

As I respond, my lower lip wobbles a little.

"I love you too. Will you be good for Aunt Sara?"

He nods, and I know I have to break away from him or I'll never let him go. This is certainly the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. As I back away, he waves, and I give him a small wave before closing the door.

When Sara talks gently beside me, I clamp my eyes shut with my palm on the door and take a big breath.

“Wren, are you all right?”

I slowly open my eyes and lift my head to face her, giving her a slight nod.

She gives me a wary glance before speaking again.

"You don’t look okay?"

I clear my throat and turn away.

"Honestly, I'm fine. Arlo will collect Cree later."

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