Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 190

Chapter 190

It was that awful Matty again-him and his dad.

And… his mom.

Sharon was holding Matty’s hand, leaning close, talking to him with a soft, warm smile on her face.

It was so different from the cold, distant look she always gave him.

Theo felt something stir, faint and blurry, like an old photograph half-lost in memory. She used to smile at him like that too, didn’t she?

When had that stopped? When had her eyes turned so cold?

He followed the three of them from a distance, watching as they rode the Ferris wheel, the carousel, the pirate ship.

They even played the balloon shooting game.

Matty won a stuffed animal, then grinned like an idiot as he handed it to Sharon.

it with a laugh, gave him a thumbs

Theo scoffed.

way better at shooting than

his mother’s face-it felt like something sharp lodged in

Mom really hasn’t seen much of the world. It’s just a stupid toy. I could win one in seconds… What’s there to be so happy about? Matty can only win some cheap stuffed animal. I could’ve won that crystal music box instead.

His voice faltered.

given

thanks, polite and indifferent. Not like

was that

just given away the music box. He’d given his mom’s birthday gift

from deep

wished-he could make his mom smile

Theo kept following them.

keenly, that every time they needed water, food, or help carrying things, it was

and that stupid kid just sat on

Dad, and Kelly, his mom was the

ended up sweating through her shirt, and never

would always remind him-don’t eat this, don’t touch that. One thing after another, all forbidden. It ruined