Page 140 of Craving the Sin
I sigh. “Okay, we will… but only if you promise to never cry about this again.”
Her crying stops immediately. I smile and sit beside her, pulling her into a hug.
“I have mixed feelings about it,” I admit.
She pulls back and looks at me. “Why?”
“That child is damaged, Abigail. We don’t know how that trauma might affect Avi.”
Her voice drops into something soft but resolute. “We’ll give him a good family. He’ll be fine.”
Just then, our little pumpkin’s voice chirps from the hallway. “Mama! Daddy!”
She comes running toward us, giggling. I lift her into my arms, sit her on my lap, and kiss her chubby cheek. Abigail cups the girl’s other cheek gently.
“Baby,” she says softly, “we want to bring a big brother for you.”
Our daughter looks up at me. I nod, offering her a small smile. Her big eyes well up with tears. She shakes her head.
“No, Mama. I don’t want a big brother.”
I press her tiny head against my chest, patting her cheek. “Okay, baby. If you don’t want, we won’t bring him.”
Abigail shoots me an unhappy look.
I’m helpless. I can’t stand seeing either of them cry. My little pumpkin or my little muse. So I decide something very simple: When these two are on opposite ends, I’m staying out of it.
Abigail asks her softly, “Why don’t you want a big brother, baby?”
She lowers her voice to a tiny whisper, “Because… you won’t love me.”
I chuckle. Abigail smiles. “Nooo, we’ll love you just the same. Don’t uncle and aunt love Wen even though she has a big brother?”
Avi nods hesitantly. Abigail continues coaxing her, “And you’ll have a big brother too, someone to love you and carry you on his back, like Leo carries Wen.”
Avi’s brows knit. “But Leo doesn’t let Wen eat chocolates.”
Abigail sigh, “Because Wen is allergic to nuts, sweetheart.”
She leans in closer, gently cupping Avi’s cheeks. “Okay, you tell me. You have Mama and Daddy to hug and kiss you every day, right?”
Avi nods again. Abigail’s expression softens, sadness creeping into her eyes. “But he… he has no one.”
Avi’s tiny face mirrors her mother’s emotions. “He doesn’t have anyone to tell him bedtime stories?”
Abigail shakes her head slowly. Avi turns to look at me. I nod.
She looks back at Abigail. “Mama… he also doesn’t have anyone to hug him when he gets fever?”
Abigail’s voice breaks a little. “No, baby, no one. And he doesn’t have anyone to cook food for him?”
My little angel’s face drops. Her shoulders slump.
Then she lifts her head with resolve. “We should bring him to our house, Mama.”
Abigail leans in and kisses her cheek. Avi grins brightly, showing her missing tooth.
“I’ll take care of him. I’ll love him a lot.”
Abigail nods, her eyes shining. “Yes, baby. I know you will.”
