Tucked Away Underneath Your Bed
Prologue
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Cassadee honey?"
"Where's Daddy?"
I froze where I was standing. I couldn't take those piercing, curious honey brown eyes that resembled his digging into me.
"Daddy is... He's..."
"All my friends have daddies. Why don't I?"
I walked over, sat on the edge of her bed and sighed.
"Not all little boys and girls have daddies, just like not all have mommies. That's just how it is."
"Oh. Okay. Good night Mommy!"
I kissed her forehead, got up, flicked her light off and walked to her twin brother's room.
"Mommy? Did Cassy ask you about Daddy?"
"Yes, she did. Why, honey?"
"I told her not to, Mommy, I really did! But she wasn't listening to me!"
I chuckled. 8 year olds were so cute sometimes. "It's okay, sweetie! Don't worry!"
"But I told her not to!"
I hugged him. "Do you want to know about Daddy too?"
He pondered for a bit, then shook his head. "No, Mommy, because it makes you sad."
I hugged him tighter. "Alright. Good night sweetie."
"Good night Mommy!"
---
Of course, when they were 8, it was much easier to deflect the question.
When they were 12, Cassadee started demanding answers.
"Mom? I need to talk to you."
"Alright, what about?"
"Dad."
I bit my lip and looked at her. She had the exact same hair color as he did, the same face, practically the same everything. And the attitude, too. Confident, loud, outspoken, all the good things her dad was.
Hopefully, none of the bad.
I sighed and dropped my paintbrush. "Alright. I think you should call William for this as well."
She ran off to get her twin. I sat them down at the dining table and began explaining everything.
"He left because he thought you guys were too much responsibility. He left a few months before your second birthday... And, well, never came back since."
"Have you heard from him? Has he tried to contact us? You wouldn't hide his letters, would you?"
"No, I wouldn't, because my dad and I were really close when I was a kid and I believe everyone should have a bond like that with both their parents..."
"Oh," her face fell.
"But Cassadee let's me know every now and then of where they are and how he's doing."
"D'you think he has a girlfriend?"
"Alex Gaskarth, single? Pssht. Not likely."
"Yes, Cassadee honey?"
"Where's Daddy?"
I froze where I was standing. I couldn't take those piercing, curious honey brown eyes that resembled his digging into me.
"Daddy is... He's..."
"All my friends have daddies. Why don't I?"
I walked over, sat on the edge of her bed and sighed.
"Not all little boys and girls have daddies, just like not all have mommies. That's just how it is."
"Oh. Okay. Good night Mommy!"
I kissed her forehead, got up, flicked her light off and walked to her twin brother's room.
"Mommy? Did Cassy ask you about Daddy?"
"Yes, she did. Why, honey?"
"I told her not to, Mommy, I really did! But she wasn't listening to me!"
I chuckled. 8 year olds were so cute sometimes. "It's okay, sweetie! Don't worry!"
"But I told her not to!"
I hugged him. "Do you want to know about Daddy too?"
He pondered for a bit, then shook his head. "No, Mommy, because it makes you sad."
I hugged him tighter. "Alright. Good night sweetie."
"Good night Mommy!"
---
Of course, when they were 8, it was much easier to deflect the question.
When they were 12, Cassadee started demanding answers.
"Mom? I need to talk to you."
"Alright, what about?"
"Dad."
I bit my lip and looked at her. She had the exact same hair color as he did, the same face, practically the same everything. And the attitude, too. Confident, loud, outspoken, all the good things her dad was.
Hopefully, none of the bad.
I sighed and dropped my paintbrush. "Alright. I think you should call William for this as well."
She ran off to get her twin. I sat them down at the dining table and began explaining everything.
"He left because he thought you guys were too much responsibility. He left a few months before your second birthday... And, well, never came back since."
"Have you heard from him? Has he tried to contact us? You wouldn't hide his letters, would you?"
"No, I wouldn't, because my dad and I were really close when I was a kid and I believe everyone should have a bond like that with both their parents..."
"Oh," her face fell.
"But Cassadee let's me know every now and then of where they are and how he's doing."
"D'you think he has a girlfriend?"
"Alex Gaskarth, single? Pssht. Not likely."
6/9/13