Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 109

Hearing Caden's agonized cries, an intense, primal maternal instinct overtook Hester. Before she could think, she reached out, gently patting the trembling boy and murmuring softly, "Shh, Caden, it's okay. No one here is going to hurt you."

"Daddy—!" Caden shrieked, his eyes snapping open in raw panic.

With a heartbreaking wail, he threw himself directly into Hester’s arms. "I'm so scared! Daddy... Daddy, save me! I'm scared... don't hit me, please don't hit me..."

Hester hadn't expected him to lunge at her. She froze for a split second before her hand slowly came down to rest on the back of his head.

She stroked his hair in rhythmic, soothing motions. "It's okay. You're just having a bad dream. It's over now."

Under Hester’s gentle coaxing, Caden’s exhaustion pulled him back to sleep.

But even in his sleep, his tiny arms remained locked in a death grip around Hester's waist.

Hester tried to gently pry him off, but the moment she shifted, Caden flinched violently, mumbling, "Don't hit me..."

Seeing him like this would break anyone’s heart.

Standing nearby, Lena sighed in deep distress. "It's been like this for days. The second he falls asleep, the nightmares start. During the day, it's even worse. He refuses to even go near his kindergarten."

Hester looked down at the child in her arms, her mind racing.

After a moment, she looked up at Lena. "Does he say these exact words every time he has a nightmare?"

Lena nodded quickly. "Yes. When he wakes up crying, he always screams that someone is trying to hit him. But when I ask him later if someone actually hurt him, he says no, that it was just a bad guy in his dreams chasing him."

"Did you mention this to Neil?"

"I did, but Neil said it was probably just because the poor boy's whole life got turned upside down and he feels unsafe." Lena waved her hand dismissively. "Neil's a single guy, he knows nothing about raising kids. Talking to him was useless, which is why we ended up imposing on you."

Hester fell silent for a moment before saying, "Children don't have recurring, violent nightmares like this for no reason. You need to inform Julian about Caden's condition immediately."

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