Catherine's Pov
I turned to meet his gaze, and I saw that he was crying now. The sight made my heart feel so heavy it was hard to breathe. I finally saw the full mess this had caused. Esme was still sobbing quietly in my arms, my own tears were rolling down my cheeks, and Soren was standing out in the open, holding back sobs of his own. Why did our lives have to be so difficult?
I sniffled back the tears that threatened to spill even more, adjusted the heavy diaper bag on my shoulder, and started walking back toward him. I did not say anything else. I just walked up and hugged him tightly. He let out a shaky breath and kissed my hair before gently taking Esme from my arms. Her frantic cries slowly softened into hiccups as he held her close and cooed to her in a low, soothing voice.
