Oh. Sadie wasn't crying because she was sad then. She was crying because she was relieved. That wasn't really much better. It just showed how desperate she was to be loved.
Fletcher sighed again and held her tighter before kissing the top of her head. He probably shouldn't have done that but he desperately wanted to make her feel better and that was the first thing he could think of. It was something he had done a million times to the younger kids when they were upset.
"Lexi, will you drive?" he asked wearily.
She nodded without a word and took the keys. He moved Sadie to the back of the van and she continued crying on him as everyone else who wasn't driving looked on in concern.
She was buckled into her seatbelt but uncomfortably considering she was still letting him sort of hug her around it and weeping into his shoulder. It seemed that this had all been building up for a very long time.