Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 33

Normally, the little boy outright refused to stand on his own. He would latch onto Quinn like a koala, screaming if anyone tried to come within ten feet of him.

Today, he was noticeably detached from his mother's hip.

Thrilled by the progress, Dr. Harper pulled out a picture book and a few interactive toys.

"Leo, do you want to play with me?"

In the past, any direct approach from the doctor would cause Leo to freeze up and squeeze his eyes shut, vehemently avoiding any eye contact.

Now, Leo just instinctively leaned a little closer to Quinn's leg. There was no flinching. No terror.

He watched the doctor with wide, clear eyes, perfectly calm and lacking any of his usual defensive triggers.

A flicker of astonishment crossed Dr. Harper's face before she officially began the assessment.

The assessment began.

Sitting in the corner, Quinn watched the familiar routine play out, her heart hammering as she mentally compared it to every disastrous session before.

During previous sessions, the moment the book was offered, Leo would violently twist away, burying his face in her neck and refusing to look, listen, or engage.

She used to hold him, reading the stories in the softest voice she could manage, trying desperately to coax a reaction. But his gaze would remain completely hollow, entirely locked away in his own isolated universe.

The doctor's previous diagnoses had haunted her: severe single-attachment. Total reliance on the mother. Complete rejection of external socialization. High risk of permanent social regression.

She had poured every ounce of her patience and love into breaking him out of that shell.

But he had remained tightly coiled in a tiny world that only had room for him and his mother.

But right now, the narrative completely flipped.

Her voice was laced with pure shock. "Ms. Yates, the leap in Leo's development is absolutely staggering."

"I was deeply concerned about him before. It was a textbook case of avoidant attachment and extreme social withdrawal. He only recognized you, shut out the entire world, and showed signs of severe regression. That is incredibly difficult to treat."

"Your dedication over the last three months managed to keep him from spiraling further, but it wasn't enough to actually open him up."

"But today, his psychological state has taken a massive leap forward."

Suppressing the wild mix of heartache and euphoria inside her, Quinn whispered, "Doctor, why the sudden breakthrough?"

She had exhausted every possible avenue, yet she had never been able to unlock the door to her son's mind.

Dr. Harper's expression turned serious. "Age two is the critical window for attachment formation. The root of his issue wasn't just a timid personality—it was a structural void in his environment."