Mother & Son

[Year X434 - Norma]

It was a normal day for Weisz, a day like any other, spent playing and adventuring with his imaginary superheroes, after a busy day at school. He was a ten-year-old boy who was so lonely, and often ostracized by his own classmates.
The boy was in his room upstairs, with a cape made from an old scarf of his mother and his toys arranged like an army of heroes ready to fight.
But as he was setting up a "rescue mission" with all those toys, the boy stopped, sensing something unusual. A dark and angry tone of voice came from downstairs, followed by the voice of his mother, equally angry. Weisz approached the door of his room and, tiptoed, approached the top of the stairs, careful not to make any noise so as not to be seen.

"...You are pathetic, Irma," growled a male voice. "Are you seriously trying to keep me away from him because of something like that?"

The boy frowned. He had never heard that voice before, and the way it spoke to his mother... it almost sounded like a threat, but he couldn't see who it was except through shadows on the ground.

His mother Irma's voice answered, firm and determined. "Damon, I told you I have no intention of letting you see Weisz. You made your choice when you left us. And you're not coming back into his life just to mess it up. He's already a kid who goes through a lot at school!"

A short silence, then the man burst out laughing, a bitter and cutting laugh. "And since when do you decide? Since when did you become a perfect mother? You are nothing but a... a desperate woman. A filthy whore who has only ever thought of you, not Weisz. And if she lets some little kid bully her, it's because you're raising her to be a little violet!"

At those words, the boy felt his little heart beat faster. His little hero instincts urged him to go down and defend his mother, but fear and confusion kept him from doing so. Who was that man? And why was he talking to his mother like that?

"Don't you dare insult me, you bastard!" Irma retorted, her voice cold but trembling with rage. "You can say whatever you want about me, but leave my son alone."

"Oh, sure," the man said, his tone contemptuous. "My son, whom you had the brilliant idea of ​​naming Weisz Steiner. As if that name had any value. If only he had my last name... Weisz Breitzer, yes, at least he would have had a decent name. Not that of someone... like you."

The woman couldn't hold back her anger. "Don't you dare talk about my son's name. Weisz Steiner is his name, and it is worthy of respect!" She seethed with anger, furious and with the blood in her veins racing. "You have no right to decide anything for him, and don't you ever try to question it again!"

Damon laughed again, but there was a venom in his voice. "You know, I could make you pay for this. I know people who would make you regret rejecting me here and now."

At those words, Weisz felt a strange combination of fear and anger. He didn't know who the man was, but the idea of ​​someone threatening his mother drove him crazy despite his very young age.

Irma, however, was not intimidated. "You can make all the threats you want, Damon. But I will protect Weisz from you and everything you represent. You are nothing but a stranger, and none of us need you."

The boy stood still at the top of the stairs, his heart pounding and a new feeling of anger and protectiveness toward his mother. He didn't understand everything that had been said, but one thing was clear to him: no matter what had happened, he and his mother were not alone, and Irma would always do anything to protect him.

After a few moments, the sound of the door closing rudely signaled the end of the conversation. Weisz quickly ran to his room so as not to be seen and sat down, trying to catch his breath, but with the new knowledge that his mother was the bravest person he knew.

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