"Momma, don't cry," Young Marcel said, walking into the room to his mother's surprise.
Penelope, obviously taken by surprise, hides her face away while trying to wipe away her tears at the same time. But Marcel used that opportunity to walk straight to her hence the young boy saw everything.
"I'm not crying," She put on her brightest smile, hoping it fooled him. But then, her son was hard to prove.
"Those are tears, momma," He pointed out with a hardened expression, probably angry that she lied to him.
That was the problem, her son was maturing at a very fast rate and it worried her. At a young age when he was supposed to live freely and have fun, Marcel was already a good critical thinker. It scared her that he was being deprived of the joy of childhood - he deserved it.