HEALING THE SCARS

CHAPTER 40

PENELOPE

I couldn't make sense of Dylan's sudden kindness. It was so unlike him, and I had to savor this rare moment before he inevitably turned cold again. The drive was silent—neither of us was in the mood for conversation. I decided to call Andrew to check in since they hadn't gone to school today.

"Hey, don't you have Bluetooth in your car? You shouldn't be using your phone while driving," Dylan said, noticing I was holding the phone to my ear.

"Yes, I have Bluetooth," I replied, rolling my eyes. I just didn't want the conversation on speaker; I wasn't ready for him to overhear anything, even though it wasn't particularly confidential.

"Then connect it," he insisted. His tone was firm, but there was an edge of something else, something I couldn't quite place.

"Hey, Andrew."

"Hey, Penelope."

"Are you guys okay? What did you have for lunch? Where's Jason?" I asked, wanting to hear their voices and ensure everything was fine.

"We're okay. We had pasta for lunch. Here's Jason," Andrew said, passing the phone to my son.

"Hi, baby. I've missed you. How are you doing?"

"I miss you too, mummy. Where's Daddy? Uncle Joey took us to the park this morning. I had so much fun. Will Daddy take me next time?" Jason's voice was full of excitement and anticipation. I glanced at Dylan, who looked back at me and then focused on the road. I thought I saw a fleeting look of disappointment in his eyes, but he quickly masked it with indifference.

"Daddy is with me, sweetheart. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Yes, please. I already miss him," Jason giggled. Dylan seemed taken aback by my offer. I gave him a reassuring smile, hoping it would ease his discomfort.

"Hey, champ," Dylan said, his voice softening.

"Hey, daddy. You said you'd come back and bring me the smaller car. You lied. I've been waiting for you all day," Jason's tone was a mix of hope and sadness.

"Well, I've already bought it for you, champ," Dylan said, though his lack of enthusiasm made it clear he wasn't entirely truthful. He hadn't even noticed we had reached the cemetery, and I had already parked the car.

"Maybe your mum could bring you over tonight, and we could have dinner. What's your favorite meal?"

"I love mac 'n' cheese and milk," Jason exclaimed. "Mummy, can we go to daddy's place tonight?"

"You have school tomorrow at 9, honey," I said, though I really didn't want to go to Dylan's place because it meant I would be there too.

"Mummy, please? I've been a good boy. I could carry my backpack and books, and daddy could drop me off at school tomorrow morning," he pleaded. How could I say no to that?

"That's a good idea, champ. You could sleep over, and I'll drop you off at school," Dylan said, looking at me with a mixture of hope and gratitude.

"Okay, fine then. Tell Maria to get your things ready, and we'll pick you up later. Bye. I love you."

"I love you too, mummy. Tell daddy I love him so much." His words were so heartfelt, and I noticed Dylan's face light up with a genuine smile for the first time in a long while.

As we arrived at the cemetery, Dylan's demeanor shifted. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair—an old habit I had noticed when he was stressed or anxious. He seemed visibly unsettled, almost as if the cemetery brought back painful memories.