Prologue

I heard glass shatter, followed by my father shouting at my mother. My older brother, Aspen, held tightly onto me as we hid in his room from the violence that was happening. 

“I knew you were...why Christine? Why?...what about our children?” dad bellowed. Mom’s sharp voice attacked back but I couldn’t understand what she said. I looked at Aspen and he held tighter onto me. He could see how much this was scaring me just as much as it was scaring him. 

“You are never home Mark...with the kids!...my mothers.” We heard footsteps come upstairs and held our breaths for that brief moment. They faded and headed towards mom and dad’s room. The foot steps came back again and headed downstairs. The front door opened and then slammed. We got up from huddling together and opened Aspen’s door. 

“Go see what happened.” I whispered to him. 

“No you!” he protested. I was only eight years old, how would I know any better. I gingerly walked down the stairs and saw daddy crying on the couch. His perfect long straight dark brown hair was now all messed up and his once happy face, was now sad. I turned back and saw Aspen standing at the top of the stairs and I swallowed hard. 

“D-Daddy?” I said. He looked over and wiped his eyes. He put his arms out and sniffled. I scampered over into them and felt him squeeze me. 

“Aspen! Come on son, I know you’re there too.” Dad’s voice echoed in the seemingly empty house. I held onto him and tried to comfort him. I saw Aspen appear and he bashfully walked over and sat next to dad. “Your mother is going to be spending a little time away from us, okay? Mommy and daddy got in a fight, but don’t you two worry, that doesn’t mean we are going to stop loving you, okay?” I wrapped my little eight year old arms around him and held him tightly. I played with his hair like I used to do when I was much younger. 

“When is mommy coming home?” Aspen asked. Dad sighed and looked at the both of us. 

“I don’t know chief, I don’t know. Come on, it’s way past your bed time little missy, lets get you back all tucked in.” He stood up and held my hand as we all walked back upstairs.

He said goodnight to Aspen first and then walked me into my room. I crawled under my cozy white sheets and he pulled the blue comforter over me and gave me my bunny. 

“Daddy, you know I don’t need this, I’m a big girl now,” I said chuckling a little bit and I saw a smile curl across his lips. He was about to put the bunny away when I caught his arm, “but I’ll sleep with it tonight.” A chuckle escaped his lips and he put the bunny next to me and I turned on my side. He bent down and kissed my cheek. “Goodnight daddy, I love you.” He got up and went to turn the light off.

“I love you too pumpkin.” He switched the light off and I fell asleep. 

Author's Note

Thoughts? :)