Nick woke up to find himself lying on the floor by his bedroom door.  He was confused.  Suddenly he remembered everything from the night before.

He walked into the kitchen and found both of his girls there.  “Morning.”

“Morning Daddy.”

Roxie was standing by the stove and didn’t even acknowledge Nick’s presence.”

“What are you cooking?”

“Ariel and I are having chocolate chip pancakes.  You’re a big boy.  You don’t need someone to cook for you.  So you’re having whatever you want.”

Nick looked at Roxie in confusion.  First she smacked him without explanation, now she was acting as if she didn't care about him at all. He watched her place the pancakes on the table.  At first he thought she wasn’t serious about not cooking for him, until he saw that she really did only make enough for herself and Ariel.  He made himself a bowl of cereal and sat next to Roxie.  Almost immediately, she stood up and moved.  Nick took a deep breath and starred down at his cereal.  He felt tears prick the back of his eyes.  He stood up and dumped his cereal in the sink.  Leaving the bowl in the sink, he left the kitchen.  He was trying not to cry, but in case he did, he didn’t want Ariel to see him that vulnerable.

He went back in his bedroom.  He blinked and felt a single tear slide down his cheek.  He angrily wiped it away in vain as more were soon to follow.  He sat on his bed, resting his elbows on his knee and his face in his hands.  Get a grip Carter.  Stop crying like a fucking baby.  It took him a few minutes, but he was finally able to compose himself.

He went back downstairs.  As he stepped off the bottom step, he saw a ball of fur go running past him.  He was wondering what got into his dog that caused her to be running like that in the house.  Then, as Ariel ran past him, he realized that Missy was running away from Ariel. 

He entered the kitchen and found Roxie washing the dishes from her breakfast.  “Can we talk?”

She stopped what she was doing and turned to him.  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“What do you mean, there’s nothing to talk about?  Last night, you made me tell you something I wasn’t comfortable telling you, then you smacked me.”

“Just drop it Nick.  We’re over.”

“What?  Roxie you can’t be serious.  Can’t we just talk about this?  I think I have a right to know why you’re dumping me.  Why won’t you talk to me?”

“Because you don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t deserve what?  To talk to you or you?”

She didn’t answer him.  She just turned to leave the kitchen.

Nick followed her to try and get her to talk.  However he gave up when he realized that Roxie stopped in the living room where Ariel was coloring.

“Roxie, Daddy, look what I drew.”  She handed them a picture of the three of them.  Ariel was in between them and they were both holding her hand. 

Nick was about to smile when Roxie said.  “Oh, that’s very nice sweetie, but it won’t happen.”  Nick looked at her.  Their eyes locked briefly.  If Roxie noticed the pain in his eyes, she didn’t acknowledge it.

~*~

It was a few days later.  Nick walked up his front walkway to his door.  He checked his mail and found nothing, then unlocked the front door.  When he walked in, he announced that he was home to a quiet house.  He heard Ariel's cheerful laughter in the backyard and knew she must be playing outside with Roxie.  He sighed, wishing that he knew what he did to Roxie.  Nothing had changed between the two of them in the last couple of days and she was still refusing to talk to him.  It was strictly business when she did utter words in his direction. 

 When he walked through the dining room to look at his daughter and her caregiver, he saw apartment finder magazines on the table.  He noticed one of the magazines was opened.  He cautiously glanced down at the page.  He felt his heart break when he realized that every highlighted address was at least 20 minutes from him.  He sighed and went out back.

Ariel heard the back door open and ran to greet her father.  "Daddy!"  She said happily.

 "Hey honey."  Nick said unenthusiastically, but smiled a fake smile for Ariel's benefit.  "Wanna come inside and get ready for dinner?"

 "Piggyback ride?"  Ariel asked, tilting her head.

Nick turned around and kneeled so that Ariel could climb onto his back.  He stood up and carried her into the house and purposely dropped her on the couch.

Roxie entered the room.  “You can handle dinner tonight right?  I’m going to the Grand Opening of The Captain’s Table with a few of my friends.”

“Yeah.”  Was all he could find in him to say.  They were supposed to go there together.  But he knew it’d be useless to try and remind Roxie of that.  He watched her leave, wishing that he hadn't done whatever caused her to hate him.  It was so frustrating and depressing at the same time.  He sighed and turned to Ariel “What do you want for dinner Ariel?”

~*~

It was that Saturday night.  A week had passed since Nick had shared his secret with Roxie and still nothing had changed.  That particular evening, Roxie was upstairs in her bedroom while Nick and Ariel were watching television in the living room.  The Little Mermaid was playing, of course, per Ariel's request.  Nick was zoning out to the movie as he watched Sebastian sing "Under the Sea" for probably the millionth time in his life, when all of a sudden the doorbell brought him out of his daze. 

 "Who's that?"  Ariel asked, perking her head up and turning her head in the direction of the front door.

Nick shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Stay here.”  He stood up and walked to his door.  He opened the door to find a man he didn’t know.  He looked at him in confusion.

“I’m Brad.  I’m here to pick up Roxie.  I met her the other day and when I asked her out on a date, she said yes.  She’s an unbelievably remarkable woman.”

“I guess she’ll be right down.”  Nick began to walk away.

“So, can I wait on the couch or something?”

“No.  I have a policy about not letting men I don’t know near my daughter.”  He said and continued to walk back to the couch.

He couldn’t believe that she had a date.  He still didn’t know what he did, but she apparently, already moved on.  Nick’s already broken heart shattered at the mere thought of her dating another man so soon.  For a moment, Nick was positive that he felt physical pain in his heart at the mere thought of her on a date, with someone who wasn’t him.

He heard footsteps on the stairs and soon the front door opened and closed, signaling that Roxie had left for date.

Shortly after The Little Mermaid Nick took Ariel upstairs to get her ready for bed.  He was sitting on the side of the bed tucking her in.

“Daddy?”

“What?”

“When Roxie moves away, can I spend weekends with her?”

Nick was taken back by his daughter’s question. “Ariel, she’s here all day when I’m at work.  If you’re with her on weekends, you won’t see me a lot.”

“That’s ok.  I have a lot of fun with Roxie on the weekends.”  She said, not realizing how much her words would have an effect on her father.

My own daughter loves Roxie more than she loves me.  Sighing defeatedly, he said.  “As long as she’s ok with it, so am I.”

Nick tucked her in and then left the room.  He leaned against the wall, letting his head fall back against the wall. He took a deep breath and started crying outside of his daughter’s room.  He stopped crying and peaked back into her room.  Ariel was sleeping.  He whispered into the quiet room.  “I love you Ariel.  I just hope you always remember that.”

Roxie returned later that night.  She invited her date in so they could spend some more time getting to know each other.  She entered the house and hung her key’s on the hook.  She bent down when she realized that she knocked something off.  It was a folded piece of paper with her name on it, written in Nick’s sloppy handwriting.  She was tempted to leave the note alone until her date left, but she had a strong feeling that was telling her that she really needed to read the note.  She opened it and began reading.

Roxie,

I know you hate me.  I just don’t know why.  I wish I did, then maybe I’d understand what happened between us.

Ariel asked me a question tonight.  One that made me realize that my own daughter doesn’t love me.  And if she does, she certainly doesn’t love me as much as she loves you.  She asked me about moving in with you part time.  Once I’m gone, she’ll get her dream and be able to live with you full time.

I spent the past week trying to get you to talk to me, but you would barely even look at me.  I can’t do this anymore.  I’m a waste of a human being and it’s for that reason that I’m ending it tonight.  Everyone would be better off without me, including Ariel who will be much better off living with you.  The only thing I ask, is that you make sure she knows how much I love her and that she doesn’t forget me. 

Nick

“Oh my god.”  She ran up the stairs without even acknowledging her date.  She reached Nick’s room and threw the door open.  She checked his bathroom, but like his bedroom, that was empty too.  “Oh god.  Where are you Nick?  Please let it not be too late.”  She ran back downstairs trying to think of anywhere he could be.  She ran right past her date, who saw her run by and then left soon after.  She stopped in the kitchen not sure where to go next.  She saw the basement door was slightly open.  Nick always kept that door closed.  She ran for the door and ran down the steps as quickly as she could without falling.  She found Nick sitting on an old beat up couch.  He had tears streaming down his cheeks as he held a knife over his wrist.  “Oh my god.  Nick don’t do it.”