My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1165

Dennis sat there with his lips pushed out, eyes shining with tears as he nodded hard.

“I really miss her. Aunt Amelia, can you tell me where my mom is? Did she get mad at me because I was bad? Is that why she won’t come back? If she’s angry at me, can you tell her I’ve changed? I do my homework every day. I don’t pick on anyone at school. I’m good now, I promise. I won’t make her upset again. Please, just ask her to come back.”

His voice grew softer, trembling as he spoke. “A lot of kids at school say I don’t have a mom. They always make fun of me. But I remembered what she told me, so I never hit them back. It’s just been really hard...”

Dennis scrubbed at his eyes with his fists, rubbing them so much they turned bright red. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks as he sniffled, nothing like the little troublemaker he used to be.

Watching him, Amelia felt her heart twist painfully.

Everyone in their circle knew about Isabella Austin, but since Dennis was just a kid, no one had ever told him the full story. All he knew was that his mom had left him and his dad.

At first, he thought maybe his parents had split up. Maybe his mom was mad at his dad, so she didn’t come home. He used to beg Andrew to apologize and bring her back, but Andrew always told him no.

Lately, Dennis had been on his absolute best behavior. The boy who once fought bedtime now went to sleep by himself. He’d get up early, eat breakfast without fuss, practice his music, and work on his handwriting. He was so good it felt like he’d turned into a whole new person. Everyone in the house could see the hope he was holding onto, and it broke their hearts. Even the maids felt sorry for him.

Then, just a few days ago, Kevin got a call that Dennis had gotten into a fight at preschool and had actually knocked out another kid’s tooth.

Kevin and Amelia rushed over to help him. At the hospital, with the other parents and the teachers there, they found out Dennis hadn’t just fought with one kid. It was three.