Suddenly, Charlie, who was sitting in the back seat, made e realize his question.
“Daddy,” he called, his voice sounding a little confused. “Why didn’t Mom come? Why don’t we have dinner together?”
I fell silent, feeling a little suffocated hearing the question As much as I wanted Charlie not to feel burdened by adult problems, but I also couldn’t lie to him. I tried to smile, even though it was difficult.
“Mom is resting, honey,” I answered softly, trying to make him feel calm. “But don’t worry, we will eat together like a family, right?”
Charlie nodded, although his expression showed his confusion. “Yes, Daddy,” he answered softly.
I felt the weight on my chest grow heavler, watching Charli try to accept my explanation. In situations like this, words sometimes feel inadequate. I thought back to the good times when our family had dinner together, laughing, and sharing stories. Now, it all felt so far away.
Charlie was focused, but his eyes occasionally glanced at me, as if waiting for further explanation. I wanted to keep the mood light, so I started chatting with him.
“Charlie, what’s that picture you’re drawing?” I asked, trying to change our mood.
ng proudly.
“It’s a monster!” he replied excitedly. “Look, it has two heads and wings!” He showed me his drawing
“Wow, that’s a cool monster! But be careful, monsters can get naughty if they eat too much,” I teased, trying to inject humor into the conversation. He chuckled, the cheerful tone making me feel a little better.
I tried to distract us with questions about school and his friends.
“Any fun plans at school next week?” I asked as I spooned food onto his plate.
“Yes! We’re going to celebrate Book Day!” he answered enthusiastically. “I want to bring an adventure book. Do you want to read it with Dad?”
My smile grew wider hearing his enthusiasm. “Of course! We can read the book together. I love adventure!”
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21
Nicholas’s POV
We continued with small talk, but the image of Sabrina’s absence still haunted my mind. I promised to live every moment of this as best as I could, for Charlie, even though everything felt different.
I felt a little relieved to see her trying to accept my answer. We continued our journey in a fairly calm atmosphere. In my heart, I hoped that this dinner could provide some relief, not only for Charlie, but also for me and Hazel. Although I knew our relationship with Sabrina was far from perfect, I hoped that with time, everything could be fixed.
I felt as if time was passing more slowly as we sat in the restaurant. What should have been a relaxing dinner felt so heavy, with tension that I couldn’t deny, Hazel sat next to me, Charlie beside her, and I at the end of the table, trying to calm my mind. But everything changed when Charlie started talking in an unpleasant tone.
“Dad,” he said softly, looking at me with a serious face, “why didn’t Mom come?” he asked in a voice full of confusion. I knew Charlie wanted to see his mother, that was obvious, and despite my attempts to reassure him, I could sense that something was off.
Hazel, who was sitting next to Charlie, snorted softly, as if impatient with the question. “Charlie, don’t talk too much about Sabrina,” she said in a harsh, yet very careful tone, “You just need to remember who you How. Call me Mom, not Sabrina.”
I was shocked to hear those words. There was no gentleness or understanding in Hazel’s words, only a desire to turn Charlie’s attention completely to her. I could see Charlie’s expression suddenly change to a scowl.
He looked down for a moment, then with a voice starting to rise, he shouted, “I don’t like Mom! I don’t want Mommy Hazel to be around all the time. I want Mommy Sabrina!”
I fell silent hearing that. Inside, I felt shocked and a little devastated. Charlie was clearly hurt, and the sincerity of her words made me feel like I couldn’t look away anymore. There was something very hurt in him, and I could feel it.
I turned to Hazel who was looking increasingly nervous. Her face was slightly flushed, and I could see she was trying hard to stay calm, even though the tension was clearly there. “Charlie, you don’t understand,” Hazel said, her voice shaking, “I just wanted to protect you. Sabrina is dangerous. She just wants to kidnap you and take you away from us.”
I felt my eyes widen at the words. “Kidnapping?” I asked, though my voice didn’t come out as strong as I wanted it to. “Hazel, what are you talking about?”
Hazel looked at me nervously, apparently starting to realize that she had said the wrong thing. “It’s not like that, Nicholas,” she said quickly, “I just want Charlie to be safe. Sabrina… Sabrina is unreliable, and I’m afraid she’ll take Charlie away from me. I just want to protect him.”
I paused for a moment, looking at her with an unreadable look. I felt confused, angry, and at a loss for what to do. I turned my face to Charlie who was still sobbing at the end of the table, trying to hold back his tears. He was truly hurt, and every word that came out of his mouth felt like a knife stabbing into my heart.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that was starting to burn in my chest. “Hazel,” I finally said, my voice flat, “Charlie doesn’t need to hear that. He’s just a kid and he just wants his mommy. All he wants is to feel loved. Don’t make it any harder than it already is.”
I didn’t know what to do after that. I felt confused by everything that had happened, by the words that had come out of her mouth, by Hazel’s behavior that I couldn’t fully comprehend. And what confused me the most was what had happened to Sabrina, what had happened to her, and why she had changed the way she had.
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Hazel looked at me with eyes I couldn’t read, a mix of anger and sadness In them. “You don’t understand,” she said finally, her voice shaking. “Sabrina Isn’t the same person anymore. She’s trapped in a world I can’t get into. I’m trying to protect Charlie, but it’s getting more and mon complicated.”
Charlie, the innocent little boy, sat in the living room with his toys on his lap, unaware of how complicated and tense the situation around him was. I couldn’t imagine wh It would do to her mentally if she heard this argument. She needed calm, love, and the presence of an adult to guide her, not endless drama.
“Sabrina may be struggling with something we can’t understand,” I continued, trying to balance my words. “But we have to do our best to help her, not judge her. Charlie just wants his mom, no matter what happens between
Us.
Hazel growled, as if harboring deep disappointment. “But should we continue to let Charlie live in an illusion? He needs to know the truth, and the truth hurts.”
The words hung in the air. On one hand, I agreed that honesty was important, but on the other, I knew how vulnerable children were to the information they were exposed to. Facing such a painful reality could break her spirit.
“Hazel,” I tried again, “maybe we can find a compromise. We can help Sabrina and still keep Charlie from getting hurt any
any further. We can do this together, but we have to stay focused on what’s best for him.”
At that moment, I felt the tension slowly melt away. Hazel took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “I just want what’s best for my son,” she said softly, her voice starting to soften.
Charlie, who was still crying softly, broke my heart even more. I knew I had to talk to Sabrina, but now, know what to say to her.
I didn’t
22
Nicholas’s POV
I was sitting awkwardly, holding an untouched wine glass my hand, while the atmosphere around the dining table felt increasingly uncomfortable. Hazel next to me looked impatient, repeatedly moving her spoon and fork, but rarely touching the food in front of her.
Charlie, who was sitting next to her, looked restless, his eyes kept glancing at the door, as if waiting for something. And that’s when the door opened, and Sabrina appeared in the doorway.
I was shocked, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. Seeing Sabrina standing there, with an expression full of longing, my heart felt tight. Her eyes searched for Charlie, and when she saw the child, her anxious face turned softer, as if a burden had been lifted. Charlie, who was sitting next to Hazel, heard the sound, and without hesitation shouted happily, “Mommy!” she exclaimed in a voice that almost broke, jumping up from her chair to run towards Sabrina..
The atmosphere that had been quiet suddenly turned more tense. Hazel who was sitting beside me immediately snorted, her eyes narrowed sharply. “Nicholas, why is she here?!” her voice raised in an angry tone, even more cynical than usual.
I took a deep breath, already expecting this to happen. Hazel always felt threatened when Sabrina appeared around us, especially after what happened between the two of them. “Hazel, calm down,” I said, trying to calm her down. “I invited her.”
Hazel stared at me with wide eyes, seemingly not believing what I had just said. “What?” her lips trembled, annoyed and angry, “This is a family dinner, Nicholas! Sabrina has no right to come! What are you thinking?”
My mother who was sitting next to Hazel also immediately replied, her voice full of anger. “That’s right! This is not her place, Nicholas. Don’t embarrass this family by bringing that woman here. There is no place for her here. You know that this is family time,” said my mother in a firm tone.
I stared at the two of them, frustration starting to creep into my mind. Seeing the two of them so easily belittle Sabrina and what had happened, I felt like I had to defend them.
“Mom, Hazel,” I said, trying to stay calm even though my heart was starting to boil, “Charlie needs Sabrina right now. He misses his mom. You both know that.”
Sabrina, who had previously just been standing at the door had now moved closer to Charlie. Charlie was already in Sabrina’s arms, his face bright, even though tears were still streaming down his cheeks. Seeing that, my heart felt broken and mixed.
I wanted to protect Sabrina, I wanted to support her, but on the other hand I knew how strong the pressure from this family was on both of us. But when I saw Charlie smiling happily because he had met his mother, I felt like I couldn’t hold back what I had to do anymore.
Sabrina bent down to grab something from her bag, and when she pulled out a large transformer robot, Charlie’s smile grew even wider. “Mom, is this for me?” Charlie asked with sparkling eyes.
Sabrina nodded, her lips smiling even though her eyes were teary. “Yes, honey. I know you’ll love this,” she said softly, patting Charlie’s head lovingly.
I could feel how much Sabrina missed Charlie. I could feel how heavy the burden was on her shoulders. I didn’t know what was happening between the two of them anymore, but I was sure that Sabrina never stopped loving Charlie, even though things were getting harder.
However, when I turned away, my eyes fell on Hazel and Mom who still couldn’t hide their annoyance. They
