The Day Silence Spoke novel Chapter 304

Her babies never even had the chance to cry.

"Mrs. Lambert, you're back?" one of the nannies noticed Latisha and greeted her.

Latisha pulled her gaze away from the infant's face and gave a slight nod.

"Mr. Lambert must be back too, then," the nanny continued. "You should both go see Mrs. Polly. She's been so heartbroken these past few days, not eating or drinking. She's lost so much weight."

Latisha didn't respond. She stood up from the swing and walked over to the stroller. As she approached, the baby waved his little hands, flailing as if trying to grab something.

"Mrs. Lambert, look!" the nanny said cheerfully. "I think Jaden is calling for you!"

Latisha froze for a second and looked up at the nanny.

"Jaden cries from the moment he wakes up," the nanny explained. "Nothing we do seems to work. Maybe you could try?"

Latisha's eyes flickered. She had seen this child several times but had never touched him; she was never given the chance. Every time she got close, Renata or Polly would push her away.

She looked down at the baby's rosy cheeks and swollen eyes, and once again, she thought of her own children. She slowly reached out, her fingers gently touching the infant's cheek. The skin was soft as cotton.

The baby’s tiny hand wrapped around her finger. In that instant, the cracks in Latisha’s heart shattered completely, splintering into a million pieces, leaving a raw, bleeding wound.

This was the first time she had seen him this close. A new life, pure as a blank sheet of paper, and so fragile. She couldn't connect this tiny face with Renata, or even with Santino.

She held him carefully, afraid to move. As she looked at his innocent face, a dull, persistent ache spread through her heart. If her child were still alive, he would be starting to talk by now. He would laugh and cry just like this.

She remembered Polly forcing her to terminate her pregnancies, using the excuse that being mute could be hereditary.

Looking at this child's crying face, Latisha suddenly saw the desperate faces of her own lost babies. Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably. A powerful, dark impulse surged through her, tempting her, whispering for her to just let go.

The nannies seemed to sense the shift in her mood. She was staring at the baby with tears in her eyes, her expression a mixture of inexplicable pain and hatred. They exchanged a panicked look and moved to take the baby back. But before their hands could touch him, Latisha took a step back.