Naomi POV
I cannot hold back the tears.
They fall fast and hot down my cheeks. I press my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound, but it is no use. The sobs come anyway. Loud. Ugly. Unstoppable.
I sit on the floor of the nursery, my back against the wall, my whole body shaking.
Kaelen's mother. Her words. Her cold eyes. The way she looked at me like I was a bug under her shoe.
She is weak.
I play the words over and over in my head. Weak. Weak. Weak.
Maybe she is right. Maybe I am weak. I cannot protect myself. I cannot protect my children. I cannot even eat dinner without falling apart.
The door opens. Mary walks in. She sees me on the floor. She kneels beside me.
"Child, what happened?"
"His mother," I choke out. "She asked me questions. About my past. About my family. About why
