When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel)

Jon kept still, answering silence with silence.

Irritation flared in Felix's eyes. He reached out. "Hand over the mask now."

Jonathan rolled his eyes, turned his back, and folded his arms as if Felix had vanished into thin air.

Felix's cheeks burned. This kid is ignoring him on purpose.

"How dare you ignore me!"

He lunged, fist closing on thin air, intent on ripping the mask away.

Jonathan reacted fast, shoving Felix aside with a single firm push.

Caught off guard, Felix staggered back several steps and landed hard on the polished floor.

Eyes wide, he sputtered, "Y-you pushed me!"

Still sitting on the floor, Felix craned his neck toward the showroom and hollered, "Mom! Mom! Someone's bullying me!"

The instant Miranda heard her son's panicked cry, she let the silk blouse slip from her fingers and charged toward the break room. Felix was on the polished marble, legs splayed, tears and screams ricocheting off the mirrored walls.

boy into her arms. "Sweetheart, what happened? Tell me who

thrust a pudgy index finger toward the lone child standing by the door, his voice a

Rage flashed across her eyes like lightning over dark water. "Staff! Someone get in here,

as three sales associates appeared, the store's pastel uniforms

Her weekly shopping sprees paid their commissions and, more importantly, her family name could ruin their jobs with a single

the staff like the barrel of a gun. "Is this

echoed in the

monkey mask, Jonathan's gaze turned glacial, a winter too cold

associates exchanged bewildered looks, wondering

Noting Jonathan's neatly pressed

and polished

crouched to his eye level. “Hi there kiddo.

nothing. Silence, thick as

softer this time, but the

two clerks whispered. "Maybe

offered, as though diagnosing a garment

deaf-made Miranda's confidence swell. A powerless boy, she concluded, and her disdain

anything happens to Felix, this

torn between