"Be good for your mommy, ok?"

The girl tried to control herself,
she didn't know what was going on,
but it was something bad...
why was Daddy saying goodbye?
Why is Mommy crying so much?
Everyone was scaring her so much.

She nodded her head,
and hugged Dad.
Mommy was at the other side of the bed,
holding onto Dad's hand.

"Mommy? What's wrong with Dad?"
"Honey...Dad is saying...goodbye"
she choked to get the words out.
"I'm sorry Sweetie...but we'll be alright"

Suddenly, Dad started gasping,
and she couldn't breath for fear.
What was going on?

A small noise came from his mouth,
and she thought she could hear the words
"I love you"
and then Daddy was still.

"Daddy!!! Wake up!!! What's wrong???"
she started screaming,
everyone was crying,
no one was telling her what was happening.


She never felt so alone.


Now she's 16,
and she doesn't remember
what it was like to be swung in circles
in his strong arms,
and knowing he had the answer to everything.
She can't remember making tents in the living room to sleep in,
or Mom laughing out loud.

She can only remember the one night
when everything she knew went away.