Mom

THE young man cried, bitterness exploding in his throat and molten hotness dripping down his cheek. "I told him everything. I was afraid, and I didn't want him to hurt you."

"I'm not mad at you," Valeric whispered, squatting to be at the same eye level as him. "You didn't do anything wrong." 

Diego gripped his knees and sniffled, his fingers digging deeper and deeper into the fabric of his pants and his flesh. 

"I didn't?"  

"No." Valeric shook his head. "Everything is fine."

"Yes, everything is fine," Nix chipped in, saying to him, "If he didn't find out from you, he would have still found out from Selena. Besides, we've all already concluded that he knew, so this is not a big deal."