Mason noticed her expression first and abandoned his red toy car to run over to the sofa. “Mommy, are you making the sad face again?” he asked while tilting his head.
Cassidy tried to smile but the effort felt like it was breaking her skin. “I am just thinking about a wedding we might go to this weekend,” she said softly.
Toby looked up from his neat rows of blocks and stood by her knee. “Is Daddy going to be there?” he asked with a serious tone.
“Yes, he wants us to come see him,” Cassidy replied while stroking Toby hair. “Does he want us there because he loves us or because he wants people to clap for him?” Toby asked.
The bluntness of the question made Cassidy want to cry more than any insult Justin had ever sent her. She had worked so hard to hide his selfishness from them by making excuses for his frequent absences.
She told them he was busy or stressed because she believed children should discover a parent flaws slowly. But children are not easily fooled when the truth is standing right in front of them every day.
“Daddy just likes to have a big audience,” Cassidy admitted because she could no longer lie to them. Mason touched her cheek and whispered that she had water in her eye.