Chapter 4 - The Cries That Broke the Silence
The photo session dissolved back into cocktail chatter, and Brenda carried Theo deep into the shade of the weeping willows. Within minutes, the overstimulated infant began to fuss, his high-pitched cries escalating rapidly into a distressed wail. Brenda bounced him awkwardly, patting his back with stiff, impatient movements that only made his face turn an angry, mottled red.
"Is he hungry?" a concerned neighbor asked, stepping closer.
"He just ate. He's not hungry," Brenda snapped, though her panic was beginning to crack through her authoritative facade.
Theo’s cries turned sharp and desperate. Heads turned across the lawn. Recognizing the distinct pitch of her son’s distress, Avery strode across the grass, her arms outstretched. "Give him to me. He knows my voice."
Brenda instinctively pulled back, clutching the crying baby tighter against her chest as if Avery were a stranger attempting an abduction. "Shh, shh, Grandma's here," she hissed.
Hearing his mother’s voice cutting through the chaos, Theo wrenched his head around, his entire tiny body lunging toward Avery with desperate strength.
"Just let his mama take him," a guest murmured, disapproval rippling through the small crowd.
Reluctantly, Brenda relinquished the child. The moment Theo’s small cheek pressed against Avery’s collarbone, the frantic wails softened into rhythmic hiccups and subsided entirely. He buried his tiny face into her neck, his small fists gripping her blouse as if anchoring himself to safety.
"Babies need their mama," a woman whispered audibly.
Avery stood victorious for a fleeting second, feeling the warmth of her son calming against her heart. But Brenda was incapable of losing the narrative.
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"Well, of course. He smells the milk on her. He'll be crying for Grandma soon enough," Brenda laughed lightly, rolling her eyes at the surrounding guests with an expression that clearly telegraphed: Just a hysterical, inexperienced new mother.
Before Avery could formulate a cutting retort, Brenda turned on her heel and headed toward the main house. At the French doors, she turned back with a beatific, chilling smile. "Avery, arms tired? Come see. Grandma set up a room for Theo."
