"What?"
"Charles!"
Both Freda and Augustine froze, their expressions blank with disbelief.
The weight of Charles's words struck like a hammer to the chest, and for a moment, neither of them could move nor speak.
They wished desperately that it was some twisted joke, something that could be undone with a laugh and a shake of the head.
"Pookie…" Augustine's voice cracked as he forced a trembling smile, trying to mask the storm brewing inside him. "You know that what you just said isn't funny, right?" he whispered, his lips quivering as he gently pulled Charles's face into his chest, holding him like he was trying to shield him from the truth neither of them wanted to accept.
Charles scoff dryly. "I… I have always… I have always thought about how I would tell." Charles began, his lips quivering in fright as he close his eyes.
He was getting more weak than he expected.
