?


    However, Wilhelm''s sudden eleration didn''t match Gabriel''s speed, causing him to stumble forward.


    Gabriel quickly grabbed the back of Wilhelm''s shirt and pulled him upright.


    "Wil, are you okay?" he asked.


    Wilhelm, flushed and anxious, replied, "I''m fine, Daddy. Let''s hurry, or we won''t win!"


    The more Wilhelm rushed, the harder it became to synchronize their steps. They ended up stuck in ce for several moments.


    Meanwhile, Damon and Mason crossed the finish line, securing first ce.


    N smiled as she wiped the sweat from Damon and Mason''s foreheads with a tissue. "You two were amazing. Great job! Are you tired? Have some water."


    She pulled out a thermos and handed it to Damon while giving Mason a small, duck-themed water bottle.


    Mason took a sip and smiled brightly. "Thanks, Mommy!"


    His face beamed with happiness as he proudly held up his five stars, determined to keep trying to win the mysterious prize for his mom.


    Earlier, Mason had shared his n for the grand prize with Damon, who had immediately agreed. The two worked together toward that goal. Unfortunately, Gabriel and Wilhelm, who had fallen behind due to their earlier misstep, didn''t even ce in the top three.


    After the race, Wilhelm''s eyes brimmed with tears as he felt a wave of sadness.


    Gabriel squatted down tofort him. "Wil, don''t be discouraged. There are more events ahead. If we win just one of them, we can still show the certificate to your mom."


    Wilhelm wiped his tears and nodded. "Okay, Daddy..."


    Once Gabriel hadforted Wilhelm, he took the boy''s hand and led him to the next event.


    The following events didn''t go any better.


    Whether it was Damon and Mason beating them again or unexpected mistakes on their part, they couldn''t manage to im first ce.


    By the end of the day, Wilhelm held


    several second-ce certificates but couldn''t stop his tears from flowing. "All we got was second ce. Mommy won''t be happy when she sees these. She''ll be disappointed."


    swney


    .ne


    In the past, Jane had always been strict with him. If he didn''t win first ce, she''d show her displeasure.


    "It''s okay, Wil. You did your best and were amazing," Gabriel reassured him.


    Still, no amount of gentle words could console Wilhelm this time.


    He threw the certificates on the ground and sobbed. "I didn''t win! I can''t see Mommy now! Mommy will be mad at me! It''s all your fault!"


    "Wil, it''s okay even when we don''t win first ce. You-" Before Gabriel could finish, Wilhelm pushed him hard.


    Caught off guard while crouched, Gabriel fell backward onto the ground.


    His face darkened, and his voice


    t you


    grew cold. "Wilhelm, who taught that it''s okay tosh out at others when you don''t get what you want?"


    swne


    The sudden change in his demeanor startled Wilhelm.


    Feeling even more wronged, he


    wailed loudly, "I hate you! You''re a


    useless dad! A bad dad! I wante


    mom! Waaah! I don''t want you anymore!"


    Wilhelm''s cries echoed across the yground, drawing the attention of everyone around them.