DIWA DIDN'T CRY WHEN HER MOTHER LEFT. For all she was aware of, there was no reason to cry. Mama would be back, she was sure of it.

A week passed but Mama was coming back. Mama loved Diwa, she had said so before. She was coming back. She had to.

And then one more week passed, but it was okay, because Mama would be coming back. She wouldn't have left without saying goodbye.

Two weeks turned into three and Diwa grew confused, but Mama would be back. She would be back.

Right?

And then a full month had passed and Diwa started asking Papa every day when Mama was coming back. Every day, he said to her, 'I don't know.'

And yet another week gone, where Diwa would check Mama's dresser. Empty. And Diwa would beg for her mother every night. No response.

And then when Diwa's tears cleared and she saw clearly, she started to notice things. She noticed her papa, always teary-eyed, coming home late and whenever she asked him what was wrong, he said to her 'just stressed'. And then she noticed things started disappearing. The fancy bowls Mama used when guests came over, that sat on the toppest shelf so Diwa wouldn't touch them, disappeared. And then her toys started disappearing too. And Mama's old things too.

And then one day, a few minutes after her babysitter left, Diwa woke from her nap and she heard something. She heard something she hadn't heard since Mama had left. Diwa heard shouting. Papa shouting.

Diwa crept down the stairs.

Her Papa was shouting, the phone to his ear. And he kept shouting and shouting, barely pausing and Diwa thought he might have been crying too. Then there was a faint 'bye' and the noise stopped. The house ached with quiet. It ached for the empty space, on the bed of the third room on the second floor.

"Papa, Papa," Diwa called, rushing down the stairs. "What's wrong, Papa?"

Papa set down the phone. "Nothing, Di."

"Who was on the phone?"

"Your mom."

Diwa's eyes lit up. "Mama? Really? Is she coming back soon? Papa, when is Mama coming back?"

Her father stayed silent, grip tight on his phone.

Diwa tugged at her father's shirt."Papaaa, where is she? Where's Mama?"

"With Paul," Papa's voice cracked. "Your mom is with Paul and she doesn't want to be here anymore."

Papa slid down to the floor and put his head in his hands. "Paul's a monster," he said.

"Papa!" Diwa sat down beside her father. "Paul's not a monster, he's Pizza Guy."

Papa lifted his head up and smiled sadly. He said nothing.

"Why is Mama with a monster?" Diwa asked.

Papa wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "That's what I was wondering too."

Diwa swallowed. Her voice wobbled and her eyes teared up. She leaned on her father's shoulder."Papa, are you sure Mama's not coming back?"

"She's not, Di," Papa pulled Diwa close and tucked her in his arms. "Your mother's not coming back."