The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 570

The little boy's face was completely drenched in tears. Petty tried to dab his cheeks with a tissue, but he thrashed his head wildly, sending tears flying as he wailed for his father.

"Wan' dada!"

Hearing the door open, Abacus whipped his head around. His huge, tear-filled eyes locked onto Franco, his bottom lip quivering as fresh tears spilled over.

"What's wrong? Daddy's here."

Franco crossed the room in long strides.

The toddler practically launched himself forward, like an eager little puppy desperate to escape its pen. Petty nearly dropped him as he lunged out of her grasp and straight into Franco's chest.

"Careful, don't hurt Mama." Franco caught the boy with one arm, his other hand instinctively shooting out to steady Petty by the shoulder.

Beneath his palm, her slender shoulder was trembling violently. Franco frowned, his fingers subconsciously tightening.

She was blaming herself.

Abacus was still hiccuping with sobs. Franco hiked the boy higher, resting the tiny head against his broad shoulder to let him cry it out.

He lowered his magnetic voice. "It's perfectly normal for toddlers to wake up crying in the middle of the night."

Petty stood there with her head bowed, looking like she had done something terribly wrong. She clearly hadn't recovered from the shock of Abacus's frantic meltdown.

Franco glanced at her trembling shoulder, curling his free hand into a tight fist at his side to physically restrain himself from pulling her into a hug.

"It was probably just a night terror. He just needs a minute to calm down."

He looked down at the crumpled, mangled tissue clutched in her hand, gently guiding her. "Wipe his face for him. He hates feeling sticky."

Petty looked up. The sight of her bloodshot eyes made Franco's frown deepen.

"Okay," she whispered.

Taking a shaky breath, she scrubbed her face with her palms, exhaling a long, shuddering breath. Aside from the redness in her eyes, she pulled herself together admirably.

She stepped to Franco's right and began gently wiping away the toddler's tears.

The moment Abacus had hit Franco's shoulder, he had instantly quieted down, slowly grounding himself from the nightmare.

Feeling the warm pressure on his cheeks, his heavy eyelids fluttered. He stared at the face hovering inches from his own, blinking rapidly. Then, his tiny, sweet voice broke the silence. "Mama..."

"I'll do it."

Franco took the washcloth from her. Without moving toward a mirror or setting the boy down, he kept Abacus resting securely against his chest. He spread the cloth over his palm and expertly cleaned the chubby little face.

His movements were practiced and incredibly gentle, the clear result of months of meticulous daily care.

Petty stood awkwardly to the side, suddenly unsure of what to do with herself. She looked down, nervously fiddling with the fabric of Abacus's sleep sack. After a beat, she said, "You should probably take him to your room for the night."

Franco had been thinking the same thing. Jay had sent him her flight itinerary earlier; she hadn't landed until late afternoon, which meant she probably hadn't slept at all on the plane.

This whole ordeal had only robbed her of even more rest.

"Alright. Go back to sleep."

Franco adjusted his grip on the toddler and turned to head back to the master bedroom. But suddenly, Petty felt a sharp tug on her pajama top. Franco felt the boy shift and stopped in his tracks.

Petty looked down. A tiny, chubby fist had clamped onto the collar of her shirt in a death grip.

"Mama, sleep. Dada, sleep."