Waking up with my nemesis baby novel Chapter 32

Madeleine stifled a giggle, her lips twitching. Kids and their wild

imaginations–she couldn’t hold it against him.

By nine o’clock, Kirsten had given Kevin a bath.

After that, he emerged in his adorable bunny pajamas, the

floppy ears on his hood bouncing with every step.

Madeleine’s heart melted at the sight.

This kid was the perfect blend of her and Roderick.

“Sweetie,” she said, grinning, “if Daddy’s company ever goes

under, how about I sign you up to be a child model?”

Kevin tilted his head, unconcerned with modeling.

Instead, he asked seriously, “Is Daddy’s company going

bankrupt?”

Madeleine chuckled. “Just a what–if. I mean, look at your

grandpa–his company went bust, didn’t it?”

Kevin nodded, processing this with a gravity only a child could

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muster.

“Don’t worry, Mommy,” he said, his voice brimming with determination. “If Daddy’s company fails, he can work on a construction site. He won’t let you go hungry.”

Madeleine’s smile froze.

“Construction?” she echoed, blinking.

“Yeah!” Kevin said brightly. “In that show you were watching today, that’s what they did!”

Madeleine’s mouth twitched. The boy had been glued to her

side all day, and while she watched her show, he had been

playing nearby. She hadn’t noticed he was listening.

Now she realized she could never let him watch those dramas

with her again. They were corrupting him.

Roderick had been pampered since birth.

The idea of him toiling on a construction site was laughable.

She shook her head, amused. “Your dad’s not cut out for that,

buddy.”

She ruffled his hair and explained what construction work

Chapter 32

actually entailed.

Kevin listened intently, his little face serious.

By the end, he seemed convinced that construction required

great strength–and his dad wasn’t strong enough.

“Alright, it’s almost nine–thirty,” Madeleine said, tapping his

bunny–eared head.

“Time for bed. You’ve got kindergarten tomorrow.”

Kevin’s eyes drooped, a flicker of reluctance crossing his face.

“What’s wrong?” Madeleine asked, crouching to his level.

He shook his head quickly and squeezed his eyes shut.

Madeleine’s heart tugged. She could tell he was holding

something back. She had noticed it a few times over the past

days.

Kevin was sensitive, his emotions running deep, but he

struggled to voice them.

When it came to expressing his own needs, he couldn’t do it.

While other kids might beg for a toy or a treat, Kevin never did.

Chapter 32

He’d just stare with those big, hopeful eyes. And even if

someone guessed and asked, his first instinct was always to

shake his head.

Madeleine didn’t know much about psychology, but she knew

her son deserved to feel safe expressing his needs.

She sat up on the bed and flicked on the bedside lamp, its

warm glow casting soft shadows.

“Kev, can you tell Mommy what’s on your mind?” she asked

gently.

Kevin’s eyes popped open, surprised.

“Or maybe… what do you want right now?” she tried again.

He blinked, his little brain churning.

No one, except maybe Nanette, had ever asked him that before.

His dad and the household staff showered him with care,

anticipating his every need before he could even think to ask.

Madeleine saw his puzzled look and thought he didn’t

understand, so she tried again. “Is there something you’d like,

sweetheart?”

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“Kindergarten,” Kevin blurted, his eyes lighting up with hope as

he looked at her.

“Mommy, I want you to take me to kindergarten.”

Madeleine’s throat tightened, her words caught in a sudden

knot.

All that hesitation, all that quiet thinking, and this was his big

request? It was so simple, yet so heartbreaking.

“I’ve never taken you before, have I?” she asked, her lips

pressing together.

Kevin shook his head.

She could guess why. The old Madeleine–the one who’d. despised Kevin and Roderick—wouldn’t have bothered. Guilt

gnawed at her, sharp and relentless.

She reached out, stroking his hair.

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