Chapter 60
Briony listened to Irwin's sharp words, feeling nothing but numbness inside.
Maybe it was for the best. She wasn't Irwin's mother, after all. Maybe it was time to let things go back to how they should be.
She would step out of Stewart and Irwin's lives for good, and let everything return to its proper course.
Without another glance back, Briony turned and walked straight for the door.
"Briony "
A sudden fit of coughing cut through the silence.
Stewart's face changed instantly. "Irwin?"
Irwin was gasping for breath, clutching his chest as he began to collapse.
"Irwin!" Stewart scooped him into his arms, turning desperately to Briony. "He's having an asthma attack!"
Briony's hand froze on the doorknob.
"Mom... cough... Mom..." Even as Stewart held him, Irwin's pale face was contorted in pain. Despite everything, he instinctively reached out a trembling hand toward Briony, pleading, "Mom, I can't breathe... cough..."
Briony's grip on the doorknob tightened.
She squeezed her eyes shut, telling herself not to give in. Stewart was here—he'd make sure Irwin was alright...
"Where's Irwin's inhaler?!"
then spun
the breathless boy, his eyes
face had lost all its earlier
twisted painfully in Briony's chest. Releasing the door, she rushed upstairs
her, Irwin limp in
top
Nestled in
laid him on the bed and pulled the covers up around
say a word, nor did
watching as she cared for Irwin with quiet tenderness, something soft
a hand over Irwin's pale cheek, then
Stewart called after her.
back,
and hurried to catch
he grabbed her wrist. "There's a blizzard out
Just stay here, at least
glanced out the
clear that morning, but now the sky was heavy and
through the biting wind. It was truly
wrist free of his grasp. "Don't worry about me. If I managed to get here, I
started down
Irwin wakes up, he'll want to
Briony stopped, halfway down.
looked up at him, standing at the
looking down on
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