Kaden knew what that meant. He squeezed his eyes shut hard, neck clenched, shoulders hunched, all so hard he could hear the rushing of blood in his ears. The disappointment hit him like a baseball bat. She wasn't going to come and he was alone. He and Lil T, who was lying in his lap flinging both arms in the air.
"I know you're not going to," he said, his voice crackling with hurt as he spoke. "He... he wanted you to come." Kaden knew as he said it it was gonna hurt her to hear it, but he said it anyway, though it would change nothing, though it would only make her feel worse. "He really w-wanted you to come."