On a bright and sunny Thursday, Eliza took Mikey to Oak Falls to visit Robin.
“Just wait here for a bit, Dad. The nurse is bringing Robin out,” Eliza said, adjusting Mikey’s scarf.
Mikey looked up with his dull eyes and mumbled something that Eliza couldn’t quite catch.
“What did you say?” Eliza asked, straining to hear.
“I want... real, real,” Mikey struggled to repeat.
Mikey had been mumbling about Lynn for days now. Eliza knew that the person Mikey really wanted to see wasn’t Robin, but Lynn from Crescent Creek and her son. Unfortunately, after Lynn left him back at Falconridge, she never came to visit him again.
Whenever Mikey started mumbling about Lynn, Eliza would sometimes pretend she didn’t hear him until he tired himself out. But today, it was testing her patience.
“Lynn doesn’t care about you anymore. Why do you keep thinking about her?” Eliza snapped.
“Son, son,” Mikey gestured desperately. “Eliza, son... real, real.”
Eliza knew that the son Mikey was talking about wasn’t Robin. She didn’t want to respond, but it felt like swallowing a bitter pill. “Alright, let’s not talk about them anymore.”
“Must, must, real, real,” Mikey insisted.
“Enough!” Eliza’s patience finally broke, and her face twisted in anger. “Stop mentioning that woman. If she loved you, why would she leave you in Falconridge without a second thought? Dad, haven’t you done enough foolish things? You hurt Mom, me, and Robin. Have you ever thought about that?”
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