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The mall was packed today. I had definitely picked the wrong day to go shopping, but it was Stephanie’s birthday tomorrow and I wanted to get her something special. I had brought Addy shopping with me, she may be young but she was also a girl and might recognize the girly things more than I could.

I held onto her hand tightly as we walked through the large crowds of people. I had been stopped for a few autographs and whenever I was recognized, I seemed to become more protective of her.

“Daddy!” she screeched, and began pointing to a store, “Let’s look in that store!”

I saw tons of diamonds glowing from the store. It was a jewelry store.

I shrugged, “If you say so.”

And she tugged me along, pulling on my hand and almost dragging me in. I wasn’t really planning on getting her some so extravagant. It wasn’t that she didn’t deserve it, but we were only casually dating still. Atleast I think we were.

“You know, baby, I think we should go check out another store…”

“Whoa,” she pointed to the inside of the case, “Look at that ring.”

It was beautiful. It should be beautiful for the damn price of the thing. Nearly half a million dollars.

The last time I was in one of these stores, I was… getting engaged to Sarah.

“Can I help you, sir?”

I saw a lady from behind the counter looking at me.

“No, I think we’re good. My daughter here is, uh, just window shopping.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to see anything?” she asked, once again.

I hated damn salespeople.

“I do!” Addy replied, wide-eyed at the jewelry.

“Addy, honey, it’s time to go,” I held out my hand, but she didn’t grasp onto it

“Well, what are you looking for?” the sales lady asked me.

“Just a birthday gift for my… girlfriend.”

“How about a nice necklace?”

“That might work better,” I smiled at her.

I don’t know why this store was making me so uncomfortable. I just kept thinking about Sarah, and everything that went wrong. How I thought I was so ready to get married and have commitment. I have my daughter now. I can’t be selfish. This store just smelled like commitment, and I didn’t want it.

“A necklace would be good…” I told her and we moved over to another counter to look at necklaces through the glass.

“I like that dat one!” Addy pointed towards a pretty heart-shaped one.

“I do, too, sweetie,” I grinned at her and then looked back towards the sales lady, “We’ll take this one, please.”

I had to sign a few papers about insurance on the necklace and such, and I could tell Addy was getting restless. She had started spinning around in circles in the middle of the store, as I signed some papers and listened to the lady talk.

“Addy, get over here, please,” I pointed next to me and she groaned and sat on the floor.

“Your totals $9125.90,” she rang me up and I hadn’t even really paid attention to the price. Well it wasn’t cheap, but it was nothing I couldn’t afford. Addy picked it out, after all.

I grabbed the bag and we walked out of the store, Addy holding onto one hand and the bag in the other. I couldn’t let go of either of them, I laughed.

“What would you like to eat, little one?” I asked her, looking down at her.

“Pizza!” she grinned up at me.

“Pizza it is,” I started towards the pizza place.

The food court in the mall was even more crowded. As we waited in line I saw some people stop and look at me. It made me uncomfortable with Addy with me. I never wanted her to feel weird; I wanted her to be normal.

I ordered two slices of cheese and we ended up finding a table. I sat her in the seat right next to me, and helped her cut her pizza up.

“Daddy, why are they staring at us?” she pointed towards a table of four girls about six tables away.

“I don’t know, baby.”

“Do they want you to write your name on a napkin again?”

I laughed, “Maybe they do. But they’re not getting anything yet because me and you are eating… and your hungry belly is more important right now.” I poked her stomach and she giggled a little bit.

“Do you think Stephanie will like our present?” she asked.

“I think so,” I smiled down at her, “She’d better.”

I laughed.

“You know what… Halloween’s coming up soon. In a couple of days. You need a costume.”

“Yeah!”


In the Halloween store, she was poking through lots of different costumes. Finally she came down to a decision – she was going to be a princess. A dead princess. I, personally, didn’t like the idea but she was dead set on it. Her face was going to be covered in fake blood.

“Daddy! You should be this!” she pointed towards a Phantom of the Opera mask and cape, “Just like dat thing you did on TV! That would be cool!”

I just laughed, “Maybe I will dress up for the hell of it.”

“Don’t say hell,” she scolded me and I tried not to laugh.

“I’m sorry.”

We bought all of our costumes and fake blood and headed out of the store.

“I think it’s time to go home, sweetie.”



As I was pulling up into the driveway, I noticed Stephanie’s car was here. I wonder why she’s here? Addy ran way ahead of me into the house as I lugged all of the bags with me.

“Steph?!” I called out, wondering where she could be.

I dropped the bags on the ground, “Steph?” I called her name once again.

“Addy, can you let the dog outside, please?”

She jogged over and opened the sliding glass door, letting the dog run out.

I went upstairs, still wondering where Stephanie was.

“Stephanie??”

Was that sobbing I heard coming from the bathroom? I ran quickly down the hallway and slammed open the bathroom door to witness Stephanie sitting in the corner of the bathtub, tears welling in her red eyes and the water looked like it had blood in it. The sight of her like that scared me shitless.

I ran over to her and put my arms around her as best as I could. She just laid her head on me and lifted her one arm out of the water to wrap around my shoulder.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” I asked, quietly, “We have to get you out of the tub… we have to go to the hospital.”

I quickly grabbed a towel and assisted her on getting out of the tub.

“He… he….” she stuttered as she shivered.

I wondered how long she had been in the tub. The water seemed to have turned cold.

“You know what, never mind. Let’s get some clothes on you first, and your going to the hospital.”

“He raped me.”

What? I asked myself.