They’d had a lovely day and now the actions of some stupid kids had set them back at square one, undoing all the progress they’d made by bringing him here.
Matt crouched down so he was level with Simon’s bowed head. ‘Hey, wee man. Don’t you listen to them.’
Every jerky sob broke her heart a little bit more as Simon clung to her with his one good arm. If she had her way she’d wrap him up in cotton wool so this kind of thing would never happen again. A child this young shouldn’t have had to go through so much in his short life.
‘No one’s ever going to want to be my mummy and daddy because of my stupid face.’
The emotional punch of Simon’s words knocked them both into silence.
That belief was at the very heart of the child’s fears and why he wouldn’t let anyone get too close. He genuinely thought his injuries made him unlovable and that few minutes of taunting had given credence to his worries.
This time Quinn was forced to swipe away a rogue tear but she steeled herself against any more. For her to become an emotional wreck now wasn’t going to do Simon any favours.
‘Well, I know people who think the world of you. Why else would they have bought you your very own spider monkey?’ Matt opened the long arms of the cuddly primate and attached them around Simon’s neck. ‘I’ve got some zoo mugs for us too. Why don’t we go back to my house to test them out?’
Simon glanced up at her with puffy, red, irresistible eyes. ‘Can we?’
‘Sure,’ she said as brightly as she could muster, thankful that the master of distraction had found a quick and simple way to ease his immediate pain. It was going to have to be down to her to find the long-term solution and show him how loved he was.
Matt stood up and spoke quietly for her ears only. ‘I know this wasn’t in the plan but my place is closer. We can get a taxi there, get him calmed down again before we get you home.’
She nodded, afraid to verbalise her thanks in case she burst into grateful tears.
Just as he’d reassured Simon, he took her hand and squeezed it. ‘Everything’s going to be grand.’
She didn’t know why but even in the most trying circumstances she believed him.
‘Take us home, Matt.’ She sighed, content to let the pretence go on a while longer.
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