"Mommy, a bug just flew into my eye," Cherry explained, presenting the most innocent of lies.Sophie's eyes reddened. She entered the room and wrapped Cherry in a warm embrace. "Well, let's cry a bit then. The tears will wash the little bug away.""I guess it worked. Look, the bug must be gone now," Cherry opened her eyes wide to show her reddened eyes. Sophie hid her own heartache and played along.Curled up in her mother's arms, Cherry tried not to cry, aware that her mother was likely feeling worse than her."It’s okay to cry when you're hurt, Cherry," Sophie reassured her, kissing her forehead. Sophie understood the weight of public scorn, especially for a child as young as Cherry."It’s not that, Mommy. I wasn’t crying because I was hurt," Cherry quickly explained."Why then?" Sophie asked, concern evident in her voice."It's because of… Tristan. He pretended not to see me before, and I was really mad, but now I feel so bad for him. Mommy, will he become a vegetative person
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