Chapter 18 Bully

• Not long after she and her sons slept in separate rooms, Phoebe and her men came and tried to steal Buddy away. Fortunately, Buddy was a little scaredy cat. He had been insecure ever since they slept in separate rooms, and his sleeps were fitful. He woke up the moment someone opened the door, and he started crying for Madeline. Aldo was woken up by his cries, and the first thing he did was whip out the Swiss army knife under his pillow to defend his brother.
• She only knew her son had a Swiss army knife hidden under his pillow that day. It was also then that she knew that Aldo was also scared that they were sleeping in separate rooms, though he didn't say that out loud. It's my fault. I couldn't give them a safe, happy home.
• The Taylors were nice, but they were still not her family in the end. Her kids couldn't feel safe under that roof, and that contributed to their fear after they slept in separate rooms. That was why Aldo had to hide a knife under his pillow, and that was why she took the kids and left despite her cousins' dissuasion.