Chapter 527 Lust & Found:>15

• Casey woke early, alert and apprehensive at the thought of meeting Robbie's family. He remained still sound asleep, his slow, even breathing the only sound as she slid gently out of bed and rummaged quietly through the dresser drawer he'd given her, looking for some clean underwear. As she rooted around she found a flat wooden case tucked away at the back of the drawer. Intrigued, she pulled it out and flicked the catch. She looked inside and gasped, tears instantly gathering in her eyes, brimming over to spill down her cheeks, unable to tear her eyes away. Inside the case, padded with cotton balls, were a handful of battered and chewed cheap plastic toy soldiers, preserved as carefully as though they were priceless, fragile treasures, his babyhood toys, the only things he'd ever owned and could call his own. Seeing them brought crashing home again to Casey how little they'd ever given, or done or felt for their son and brother, how paltry was the existence they'd allowed him to lead that this was all he had to show for a lifetime among them. She leaned against the wall, and slid down to huddle against the wall, crying silently and bitterly for everything they'd done to him, and for giving him nothing, ever, and finally forcing him out without even a passing concern for his life and future. He really had been nothing to them; here was the proof...
• "Casey, what's wrong, what happened?" came the soft, anxious query from Robbie as he climbed out of bed, kneeling down next to her as she lifted her tear-streaked face to him. Wordlessly she showed him the open case, the toy soldiers inside, and Robbie understood immediately, moving to hold her close as she cried with the guilt still echoing inside her, now refreshed by this poignant reminder of the burden of shame she bore.
• "I'm sorry, Case, I don't know why I kept them, I meant to throw them away, I will if you want me to..." he began, and she jerked her head up to stare piercingly at him.