Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 219

When night fell, she curled up in bed early with a good book.

When her eyes grew heavy, she turned off the lamp and drifted to sleep.

With Julian entirely out of the picture, she experienced yet another night of blissful, uninterrupted rest.

...

The following morning, Hester was pulled from her dreams by the faint sound of voices drifting in from outside.

"Oh my gosh, you are the cutest little thing! Can I get a hug?"

"No!"

"Just one hug? I promise I'm not a bad guy..."

"No, no!"

Hester frowned slightly, slowly opening her eyes.

Was she imagining things, or did that sound exactly like Gigi?

Suddenly, the phone on her nightstand started vibrating.

Hester reached out and grabbed it.

Seeing the caller ID, she froze.

It was Caden.

She had been away for nearly ten days, and she hadn't contacted him once.

Mainly because he hadn't reached out to her either. She figured that if he wasn't calling, he must be getting along wonderfully with Seraphina.

And honestly, that was for the best. Seraphina was his biological mother; she would never mistreat him.

It was only right that Caden bonded with her. As for his "Godmother," she was ultimately replaceable.

Hester was carrying her own child now. Once the baby arrived, she wouldn't have the emotional bandwidth to pour into someone else's kid.

Creating some distance was necessary for everyone involved.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Hester pressed her lips together and answered the call.

"Godmother!" Caden's bright, youthful voice rang through the speaker.

Hester responded gently, "Caden, shouldn't you be in class right now? Why are you calling me?"

"I didn't go to school today." His voice dropped a little. "I caught a cold, so Mommy called in sick for me."

Hester had no obligation to endlessly coddle the boy's feelings.

Taking a deep breath, she made her tone as firm as possible. "Caden, your father and I have separated. I won't be living at Stellamare Villa anymore, so you don't need to wait for me."

"Why?"

Caden's voice cracked, instantly dissolving into desperate sobs. "Why aren't you coming home?"

"Because that hasn't been my home for a very long time. I found a city that I love, and I plan to build a life here."

"So you don't want Daddy anymore..." Caden hiccuped. "And you don't want me either... right?"

"Caden, you were never mine to begin with. You have your own mother."

"Is it because you don't like my mommy, so now you hate me too?"

"Caden, adult problems have nothing to do with children. You're a smart, sweet boy, and I care about you very much," Hester said softly. "Your father and I used to be married. We were family, which is why we lived together. But now we're separated. We aren't family anymore, so we can't live under the same roof. But you and your dad are both Westons. You will always be his family."

"I don't understand... you grown-ups make everything so confusing! I just know I want to live with you! Please come back, okay?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Caden started wailing into the phone.

"Mommy said she wants to take me abroad... but I don't want to go! Daddy won't be there, and you won't be there! I don't want to leave... *waaaah!*"