At the exhibition, Marcus Shaw and Oliver didn't stay for long. Since they had a contract negotiation with "Mech Battle" in the afternoon, as soon as Crystal Hughes returned, they handed Andrew over to her and then left.
Crystal took Andrew around for a while and played a few games, but the intermittent pain in her back kept her from enjoying herself, and she never managed to win a prize.
After rubbing her face, Crystal relaxed her expression, pulled Andrew in front of her, squatted down slightly, and said to him, "Mommy's feeling a bit frustrated. I'm going to sit here and be a bit introverted for a while, handsome Andrew. You can play around here, but don't go too far, okay?"
Andrew pressed his lips together and stared at the scrapes on her knees and elbows. After a moment of hesitation, he asked softly, "Mommy, does it hurt a lot?"
"Not at all." Crystal pinched his cheek and laughed, "If I said this little scratch hurts, your grandpa would tease me when we get back."
