The light went out of Isabella’s eyes. She looked genuinely disappointed, maybe even scared that she was left behind.
"Oh," she whispered.
Before the sadness could set in fully, Marco jumped up in his chair. "But that is okay. We are going to have so much fun! We have toys and a big yard and we can play hide-and-seek!"
Isabella looked at Marco's shining, excited face, and a tiny smile finally tugged at her lips.
Astor took the opportunity. "Alright, kiddos. Finish your breakfast, then let’s go upstairs and see if we can find some good story to read before l go, okay?"
The children finished up and happily sped off upstairs, Marco already instructing Isabella on how the rest of their day was going to go.
As soon as they were gone, the easy atmosphere broke. Astor helped me off his lap
