Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 272

Hester had always possessed a natural flair for art, a talent pushed to its absolute limits by her mother Miranda’s high-pressure, perfectionist upbringing. A simple portrait sketch was nothing; she finished it in minutes.

"All done." Hester set the crayon down and held up the paper, beaming at him. "Take a look, Caden. Does it look like you?"

Caden’s mouth fell open in awe. It looked exactly like him!

"You're awfully quiet," Hester teased gently. "Did I not get it right?"

"N-no..." Caden panicked a little, waving his small hands. He looked at her, stumbling over his words. "G-Godmother, it... it looks just like me."

Her eyes crinkled with amusement. "Do you like it?"

His face flushed again before he gave a shy, definitive nod.

"Then it's yours." Hester chuckled. Before he could even process it, she was holding the drawing out to him.

Caden stared at the paper, hesitating.

"What are you waiting for?" she urged playfully. "If you like it, take it!"

Only then did he slowly raise his hands to accept it.

Watching his cautious, timid movements—even worse than before—broke Hester’s heart. He was such a sweet, well-behaved child, yet he had suffered so much because of the selfishness and grudges of the adults around him.

Caden traced the lines of his own face on the paper with a delicate finger. Hester reached out and gently stroked his hair.

"No." Hester took his small hands in hers, looking deep into his eyes. "Listen to me, Caden. You are wonderful. You’ve always been such a good, smart boy. If someone hurts you, it’s because there is something wrong with them. You must never doubt yourself just because someone else makes a mistake."

Caden stared at her, wide-eyed, processing her words.

"But... they said I was only hit because I was bad and didn't listen..."

Hester’s brow pinched together. Hearing those words from his tiny mouth twisted her stomach into knots. She leaned forward and pulled his small frame into her arms, gently rubbing his back.

"They were wrong. Kids don't have to agree with adults all the time. You’re five years old now. You’re very smart, and you are allowed to have your own thoughts. You can be brave and say what you want. The people who truly love and care about you will care if you're happy and healthy. They'll respect your feelings and ideas. Just like..."

Hester paused for a moment before finishing, "...just like your dad, Grandma Bella, and Dr. Fuller. They all want what’s best for you. If you’re sick, they worry and feel sad. If you’re happy, they're happy too."