Renee Jennings froze. She forced a smile, her voice seeming to squeeze through clenched teeth. "Nathan, stop playing these little games with me. Who taught you this trick to be lazy? It's not good at all. A truly good boy wouldn't act like this..."
Before she could finish, Nathan Lynch collapsed.
"Nathan!"
Renee Jennings hurried forward to catch him. She brushed the dirt from his sleeves, her heart aching for the custom-made outfit he was wearing. She had run her legs off to get a master tailor from abroad to make it for him.
Nathan's eyes were half-open. "Mom, I'm really tired. I need to rest for a bit..."
After spending the last six months together, Renee Jennings understood Nathan Lynch quite well. She knew he wasn't good at lying—for instance, right now, his little hands were clenched into tight fists.
She snapped, "Nathan, stop pretending. Do you really think I can't tell? Who taught you to lie? Who's been a bad influence on you?!"
