Chapter 8 - The Truth Begins to CrackThe first week was hard.
Leo clung to me. He wouldn't let me out of his sight. He cried whenever I left the room.
"The monster took me away," he said one night, his small voice trembling. "She locked me in the basement. She said I was bad. She said I ruined everything."
I held him tight. "You didn't ruin anything. She was the one who was bad. Not you. Never you."
Noah was there too. He sat on the floor with us, his hand on Leo's back.
"I'm going to protect you," Noah said. "Both of you. No one's ever going to hurt you again."
Leo looked at him. "You're my daddy?"
"Yes."
"Promise?"
Noah nodded. "I promise."
Leo seemed to accept that. He fell asleep soon after, curled up between us.
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"He's going to be okay," Noah said. "He's strong."
"He's strong because he had to be," I said. "That's the tragedy of it."
