We got in the car, a tense mood in the air. I fiddled with Pippi on my lap, holding the black stuffie carefully. Frank seemed very sad, reaching over to hold my hand. We got to the cemetery and Frank just sat there after we parked.

"Daddy?" I asked. "Why are you just sitting here?"

"I don't think I can go in there," he stated.

"Daddy," I whined. "Come on, you don't need to be scared, I'll be by your side the whole time."

He gave me a small smile, kissing my hand.

"Okay," he whispered.

We got out, one of my hand's holding Frank's and the other holding Pippi. The two of us walked through the rusty black gate and through the paths. Frank stopped suddenly, staring blankly as he swallowed a lump in his throat. I looked over and saw a grey, stone grave with the name Raymond Toro inscribed in it. I pulled him over, kneeling down in front of the stone. I smoothed out the skirt of my black dress. I thought that black would be the most appropriate color, along with my black leather high heeled boots. I patted the spot beside me, signaling for Frank to sit.

"Sit, daddy," I said, looking up at him.

He bit his lip, gently sitting down. I took his hand in mine because he looked close to tears.

"Daddy, it's okay," I whispered.

Frank nodded, taking a deep breath. We sat in silence, staring at the stone before us.

"Go on, say something," I encouraged.

"R-Ray, I'm so sorry," he choked out.

I gave him a small, encouraging smile. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. I felt his body shake and when I looked over I saw he was crying.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe, Ray," he apologized. "I should've been there for you, I shouldn't have left you. I regret that every day, I just get so upset whenever I think about them and what they did to you. I'm sorry I didn't come around here earlier, I-I just couldn't handle it."

He sniffed, resting his head on my shoulder and I stroked his hair.

"I think about you everyday, I just wish that I hadn't left you there, it's my biggest regret in life," Frank said b

I kissed his forehead, silence lapping between us.

"I think we should go, I don't think I can stay here any longer," he said.

"Can I say something first?" I asked.

He nodded. I fiddled with Pippi in my hand, petting the top of her head.

"You were really lucky to have met Frank," I said to Ray. "For the time that you were with him, it must've been so nice. And you were probably really nice and I think we could've been really good friends. You should know that Frank really cares about you and loves you, even if he's too sad to express it. I'm so sorry for what happened to you."

He leaned over, giving me a kiss.

"I love you, daddy," I whispered. "You're my whole world."

"I don't want to be your whole world, I just want to be your favorite part in it," Frank said.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him right. He pulled away, setting down the flowers on the grave. The tulips weren't in season at this time so he found some roses that were pastel pinks, purples, and even a couple blues. He stood up and I set Pippi down next to the flowers and stood up with Frank.

"Why are you leaving Pippi here?" He asked.

"It's for Ray," I said. "I want him to keep it."

He gave me a kiss gently.

"Are you sure you want to leave her here?" He asked. "The janitor people will just get rid of her."

"It's a nice gesture," I said, nodding my head.

We started walking to the car when I felt regret. I stopped, tugging on Frank's hand and giving him sad eyes.

"Go get it," he allowed.

I hurried back over, grabbing Pippi and whispering a sorry to Ray. I got back to Frank, giving him a tight hug. The two of us walked back to the car, sitting in silence besides the quiet music that wafted from the radio. We got home and we walked inside, a melancholy mood in the air. The sun was beginning to set, filling the sky with a warm, orange colored glow that was darkening into blue.

"Do you want chicken nuggets for dinner, baby boy?" Frank asked.

"Can it be the dinosaur shaped ones?" I questioned.

Frank nodded and I agreed. He was cooking while I sat at the counter and colored. It was a picture of a cat in space with a cute little alien. The sun had finally set by that time, letting the stars shine bright in the beautiful, clear sky. Maybe me and daddy can go out later and look at the stars. I sucked on my paci, coloring the cat purple.

"Do you want milk or water, princess?" Frank asked.

"Milk, please," I chose.

He poured it into a sippy cup and handed it to me. He was getting himself a cup of tea when we were suddenly consumed into darkness. I shrieked, running over to him. I couldn't see and ended up running into something, crying out and falling onto my butt. I felt a hand on my back and the other on my cheek.

"Daddy, it's scary, what happened to the light?" I asked.

"It's probably just a power outage," Frank replied.

"I don't like it," I pouted, rubbing my hurt forehead.

"Here, let me go find some candles or something," Frank said, letting go and standing up.

I whined, tugging on his jeans.

"Don't leave me, it's too scary," I said.

I felt him lift me up to my feet. I held onto his hand tight as we walked. We grabbed two lanterns and a flashlight from a closet, the two of us soon sitting in the living room. I was practically in Frank's lap as I looked around nervously.

"It's okay, baby, you don't need to be scared, daddy's here for you," Frank reassured. "It's kind of like a game."

"A game?" I asked.

"Yeah, exactly," he confirmed. "It's like we're out camping, it's just a fun game."

I giggled, nodding my head. Frank stood up, spreading out a blanket on the floor and laying down on it, gesturing for me to lay beside him. I did and he held my hand tight.

"See look, it's just a game," Frank said.

The two of laid side by side for a while until Frank sat up.

"I have to make a very important call, be a good boy and stay here for me, okay?" He asked and I pouted. "We need someone to make sure the squirrels don't eat our camp food right?"

I nodded and he smiled, handing me my paci that I had dropped when I ran into the object earlier. He took one of the lanterns with him. I cuddled Pippi to my chest, thinking about what would've happened if I had actually left her. I have more stuffies but this is the one Mikey gave me for being the best big brother ever, it's special to me.

It was thirty minutes later and Frank still wasn't back. My tummy was grumbling because I still haven't eaten, the chicken nuggets were still in the oven when the power went out. I grabbed on of the lanterns, going to find where Daddy had gone with Pippi in my other hand and my paci in my mouth. I heard him talking in his office and I stopped to listen.

"I know, papa, they shut off our electricity," he shouted in a hushed tone. "Because the bills are too expensive and we don't have enough money. I called and they said they can give me a bit of an extension but that's all, the power will be back tomorrow...Well what the hell am I supposed to do? I need to take care of Gee...Papa, he can't do that...I know but--"

Frank was cut off when I opened the door.

"Daddy, my tummy is telling me I'm hungry," I complained.

"I have to go, papa, I'll call you later," Frank said, hanging up and looking at me with a smile. "Does my little boy want food?"

I nodded, my growling stomach accentuating my point. I followed Frank out to the kitchen where he opened the oven.

"The stove turned off before they could finish cooking, they're still partially frozen," he said.

Frank began to get out things to make sandwiches. I was sat back at my seat where I was before, drinking my milk from my sippy cup and looking out the window.

"Daddy, why did the power go out?" I asked.

"The same way the power always goes out, silly," Frank said.

"But there's no storm out, the sky is perfectly clear," I stated.

Frank froze before continuing to spread the peanut butter on the bread.

"Maybe it was magic," he said.

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, it was probably magic that made the lights turn off," Frank stated.

I took the paci out of my mouth, holding my arms out and making grabby hands.

"Daddy, I want kisses," I stated.

"That's not how we ask for things, little one," Frank warned.

"Please?" I asked.

Frank smiled, walking over and lifting me onto the counter. His lips molded with mine, electricity moving between us. His hands were on my hips, mine tangled in his hair. Frank's tongue was inside my mouth, exploring it while I moaned gently. We both pulled away to breathe, giving each other small smiles.

"I should go finish making food," he said.

He started walking off, but I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back, giving him a small peck on the lips.

"I love you, daddy," I said.

"I love you too, baby," he repeated.

I let him go finish making the sandwiches. Soon, the two of us were sat on the blanket in the living room, the lanterns giving faint light around us.

"Daddy, what were you talking about on the phone with your dad?" I asked.

"Nothing important," he brushed off, poking at his uneaten sandwich.

I frowned, was daddy not hungry? I was already done with my sandwich and was eating my strawberries off my princess plate.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He nodded, flashing me a smile. "Don't you worry about a thing, sugar, everything's just perfect."