Chapter 29

Nydia looked down and froze. Norman's tiny hands clutched the hem of her shirt as his big watery eyes stared at her. They were filled with fear and on the verge of spilling tears. Her heart melted instantly. She couldn't resist gently ruffling Norman's hair. "I need to go back to work. You can come visit if you miss me." Norman lowered his head, and his tears dripped like raindrops. Nydia's heart ached as she watched him cry. For a moment, she completely forgot Mick's unreasonable words from earlier. She crouched down and patiently comforted him, "You're gonna have to go to school, okay? If you miss me, you can call me anytime. I'll pick you up after school, and we can hang out for lunch. How does that sound?" As expected, Norman stopped crying. Nydia carefully wiped his tears away. "When the weekend comes, I'll talk to Mr. Houle and ask if we can all visit the amusement park." Norman's eyes brightened, and he eagerly held out his pinky. Nydia extended hers and hooked it w