Kakashi stood awkwardly in the hallway as [Name] scolded her son.

"How could you do that?!" She yelled, and the boy started to bawl. The mother was panicking; the thought of her ex husband coming back caused her heart to pound violently against her chest. "Why do you do things like this?! You're impulsive like your father! You think you're always right, don't you?!"

The baby started to cry because of the screams her mother was making.  Kakashi, looking for a way out of the commotion, followed the cries to a small girly room. Toy blocks littered the floor, everything was a shade of pink and frilly. There was a lone crib in the back corner of the room, next to the shelf lined with stuffed animals and children's books. And in that crib was a fussy little baby.

Kakashi stared at the child, deciding if he should pick her up, or leave her there and let the mom handle it. However, [D.Name's] mom was sort of busy yelling at the oldest child right now, so, Kakashi picked the child up.

The little girl hugged his neck desperately while the man rubbed her back to soothe her cries. She sniffles and wipes her face across Kakashi's shoulder. The wetness on his shirt soaked through, touching skin. This didn't bother him though, drool, tears, and snot is nothing compared to what he has to deal with at his job.

"Are you okay now?" He asked quietly and the little girl lifted her head from his shoulder. [D.Name] looked at Kakashi, her big eyes gleaming with innocence and curiosity. She tilted her head, wondering who this man was. It certainly wasn't her father, and definitely not her brother. So who was he?

Her little hands cupped Kakashi's cheeks, and stared deeply into his dark grey eyes. The man's cheeks flushed pink. The little one in front of him was so cute, he just wanted to hug her and protect the innocence she held in those big beautiful eyes.

The outside screams were blocked out as the two had their sweet moment together.

...

[Name] sat at the dining room table. A cigarette between two of her fingers, her eyebrows knitted together. She was trying to calm down; emphasis on trying. She dug her nails into the wooden table, as she took a long inhale of the cigarette, not stopping for anything. She closed her eyes, holding in the smoke for a second or two, and then exhales. The grey smoke fills the air momentarily before dispersing into nothingness.

"Oh, so you're a smoker?" The voice of her significant other makes [Name] jump. She takes a quick glance at Kakashi, his arms crossed whilst he leans against the wall. "You know that's bad for your health."

The mother sighs, putting out the cancer stick in a nearby ashtray. "I used to be a smoker, but I quit years ago. But I was so angry and, and stressed, I couldn't think straight. This is the only way I know how to get rid of my anger. It just take the edge off, ya know?"

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here," Kakashi offers, sitting next to her. She shakes her head, looking down at the table she's been clawing at for the past hour. The top layer of wood underneath her fingernails, pushing against her skin.

"Am I...am I a bad mom?" She whispers, tightening her hands into fists. She realizes what she had said to her son and prayed to any God out there listening, that he won't resent her for this. No matter how much he pleaded for her forgiveness, no matter how many tears he had shed, she didn't forgive him. She stayed angry, stayed hateful and stayed bitter. And none of this was about him, none of the things she said were for him. All the hateful words, and the yelling, were for her ex husband, not her sweet baby boy. She knows he had good intentions but nothing good came out of it. She wanted to apologize to her baby, the little man that has stuck with her through thick and thin, who still had his innocence only a child could possess but she probably ruined it for him. "I'm so sorry."

You're so impulsive! Why don't you think next time dammit!! I guess you don't have a brain in that thick skull of yours, do you! Why do you do things like this?! You think you're always right, don't you?! How could you do this to me?! You make me so angry sometimes!! How could you do this to me... You're honestly the worst!

Her words repeated in her head, some of the things she said were never supposed to escape her lips.

"Being a parent is hard, especially if you're a single parent. It's okay. Even the best mothers lose it." Kakashi comforts the regretful mother.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

[Name] held back the waiting tears, the tears she's been wanting to cry for years. But she was too strong, too stubborn to cry in front of Kakashi. She wasn't the type of person who liked to show weakness.

"He's going to be here in less than three days. What do I do?" She turns to Kakashi with the most desperate look. Her eyes pleading for him to help her, to give her answers. "What do I do Kakashi?"

He wanted to say something to lift her spirits. Wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but those things would all be lies. Lies surrounded by soft edges that won't leave her bleeding, won't leave her feeling empty inside. Lies with good intentions are still lies, they hurt more than the truth.

"I don't know," he said. "I just don't know."