Every other weekend was the same. Xavier would meet his father outside of the Dire Lake University of Psychiatric Wellness, and they’d spend two heart wrenching hours, walking on eggshells while they visited his mother, Renata.
If they were lucky.
It seemed that they might be today. Her eyes were clear, and her smile came easily. She seemed at least partly interested in what August had to say, as he recounted the boring surface-level information he always brought with him from the Pack.
If her attention seemed to fade in and out of focus as his father droned on, Xavier didn’t blame her. After all, what did she care about who had just had a baby, or gotten married, or graduated from whatever, when she couldn’t stand to be outside of these walls long enough to enjoy it.
After Sophia had
