Three-year-old Baylee stood out in the drive-way with his basketball. He’d been trying to get the ball in his mini net for a while now, and was wishing his Daddy would come and play with him. He tried again, getting it in this time.

“Yay!” Baylee cheered, doing his little victory dance.

Brian came out of the house then, heading for his car.

“Daddy! Daddy!” Baylee cried. “Comes pway with me!”

Brian smiled at his son. “Buddy, Daddy has to go to work right now.”

“Buts you pwomised you’d pway!” Baylee insisted, running over to his father and tugging on his pantleg. “You pwomised, Daddy.”

Brian scooped the little blond image of himself up. “I’ll play with you when I get home, okay? Promise.”

Baylee pouted. “You saids that lasts time,” he sighed.

Brian kissed his little head. “I love you, Buddy.”

“Loves Daddy,” Baylee replied, hugging him tightly before being set back down upon the asphalt.

Brian smiled and got into his car, driving off down their long driveway to their gates, which were oddly opened.

Baylee watched sadly as his Daddy drove off down the driveway, his little heart breaking. All his Daddy did lately was break promises, and it hurt. He looked over at his basketball and felt his lower lip tremble. All he wanted was to play with his Daddy again, like they used to. He went back to his ball and sat there on the ground hugging it tightly to him.

~BSB~BSB~BSB~BSB~BSB~

Eight-year-old Lenore was just outside of the gate to the house, setting up her lemonade stand. Her mother had given her permission, provided she use her walkie talkie if any trouble arouse. Of course Lenore agreed, wanting to make some money of her own. She even knew just who she wanted her first customer to be!

Brian reached the end of the driveway and pulled to a stop, frowning some when he saw his daughter outside of the security-fenced yard. He parked his car and rolled down his window.

“Lenore, why are you out here?” He demanded.

Lenore looked up, her eyes shining. “Daddy!” She exclaimed, smiling wide. “Mommy said I could have a lemonade stand!”

Brian nodded briefly. “Very well then.”

“You wanna buy a cup?” Lenore asked eagerly, her hopes soaring high. The one she wanted as her first customer had actually come and stopped! Oh, what joy!

“Sorry, Honey, I have to go,” Brian replied, taking his car out of park again. “I’m running late.”

“But Daddy,” Lenore began, “it’s only a twenty-five cents! You always got quarters in your pockets.”

“I don’t have time to search for quarters,” Brian stated firmly, looking to see if any cars were coming.

Lenore quickly poured a cup of lemonade and started heading towards her father’s car. “Here, Daddy! You c’n have a free one!” She said, trying to hurry over.

“Bye! Love you!” Brian called, as he pulled out of the driveway just as she was almost close enough to hand him the cup.

Lenore’s eyes filled with tears, as she watched him drive off down the street. She let her shoulders sag and her hands drop, spilling the lemonade all over the sidewalk. “Love you,” she mumbled to no one in particular.

Leighanne watched from where she stood now holding Baylee. She’d seen the little boy looking lonely and had come out to check on him, only to see the exchange between father and daughter. She saw Lenore re-fill the cup and set it aside, so that it was there just in case her father came back. She shook her head, and walked out to where her eldest was, carrying her youngest.

“Hey, Honey,” she said softly. “Can Baylee and I buy a cup or two?”

Lenore forced a smile upon her face. “Hi, Mommy,” she replied. “Sure. You c’n buy a cup – or two.”

Leighanne watched as two cups of lemonade was poured. “Who’s the other cup for?”

“Daddy,” Lenore answered simply, not looking up. “For when he gets home. He’ll be thirsty, yanno.”

~BSB~BSB~BSB~BSB~BSB~

That night when Brian came home, he went straight to bed, the cup of lemonade left in the fridge for him gone unnoticed. Same with the drawings that were left on the kitchen counter for him to see. And the note near the drawings from his wife, explaining about the drawings and the cup in the fridge that had been left for him. All he noticed was his bed, and nothing else – not even his lovely wife already fast asleep on her side.