The room was full of silence. Finally, Hudson Hayden snorted, "Nonsense!"
Mrs. Hayden still didn't want to give up so soon. She turned to Xavier. "Will you say, 'mommy'?"
"Mommy," the boy repeated blankly.
Grace was speechless. The boy knew what he was doing, and he did it on purpose. Landon Hayden was also stunned. He thought it was Grace's trick.
Mrs. Hayden's eyes were wide open. She turned to her husband. "Did you hear it? Xavier just said 'mommy'. I have never taught him the word!"
She was moved into tears.
Everyone in the Hayden house had avoided the word on purpose, fearing that Xavier would be sad and self-sabotaging because of a missing mother. Even Landon called his mother "Mrs. Hayden." None of them expected the boy would learn the word "mommy" himself.
Mrs. Hayden tried
