Cynthia's POV
I rocked Jamie back and forth on the pull-out couch for a long time, his sobs had slowly turned into calm breaths. The room was lit only by a faint glow of a street lamp filtering through the curtains.
"I'm sorry, Mama," he whispered into my shoulder. "I shouldn't have been scared."
"You’re allowed to be scared, Jamie," I said, kissing the top of his head. "I'm sorry I scared you, just know I will never leave you. Ever."
He eventually drifted off, his hand curled tightly into my shirt. I gently untangled myself, placed him on the bed, and walked out to the kitchen. Lauren was sitting at the table, a single lamp dimmed low. She had a glass of wine in front of her, but she wasn't drinking it.
"He's asleep," I said, my voice cracking mid-sentence.
She turned to me and gav
