Hughes's emotional breakdowns were rare occurrences.
Aileen attempted to soothe the boy, but his relentless sobbing made her patience wear thin. Annoyance flickered across her features.
"Enough crying!" she snapped, her voice cutting through the air.
The sharp tone startled Hughes into silence. He stared at Aileen with wide, tear-filled eyes that held both pain and terror.
Realizing her mistake, Aileen quickly softened her expression and gazed at Hughes with forced tenderness. "Hughes, you've been sleeping for hours. You must be starving. How about I take you to grab some food?"
"No! You're not my mommy!" Hughes suddenly pushed Aileen's hands away, threw off his blanket, and scrambled from the bed.
Ignoring Aileen's frantic calls, he bolted from the room straight to Ridley's study, stretching on his tiptoes to push open the heavy door.
Ridley sat hunched over his computer, his face grim as he analyzed data on the screen.
The sound of Hughes's wailing pierced the silence.
