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Part 15 - May 13th

"Daddy?" I called. "Daddy? Where are you?" I looked around the flowering alleyway between two apartment buildings, searching for my father. "Daddy!"

Suddenly, behind me, someone grabbed my hand. I immediately turned around. "Mommy!" I said. I noticed the glistening tears in her eyes as she bent down to hug me. "Where's dad?"

"Em, come inside," she said. "I'll make you a milkshake."

"Mom, answer my question!" I pouted. "You told me that daddy would be back from his trip today! Where is he?"

My mother straightened her back to look at me, her green eyes as hard as apples. "Honey, he's not coming back."

I understood. I understood immediately, but I didn't want to.

"Why?" I said, salty tears beginning to flow down my cheeks. "Why?"

"Come on, Emili," she replied, getting up and grabbing my hand, pulling me along, but I stood my ground.

"Why?" I yelled. "WHY?"

My mom turned around and looked at me, a single tear running down her cheek. "I don't know, okay? I don't know."

She understood what I was saying. Not why wasn't he coming back, but why us? Why was he gone?

My mom pulled me by the hand and took me into our apartment building, even though I still pouted for no reason. 

I woke up, panting, the early morning rays of sunlight poking in through the curtain. I settled my nerves and took a deep breath. I hadn't had a nightmare so bad in at least eleven years - almost the amount of time my dad had been gone.

Cosme.

That was his name.

He had died a day before he was planned to come home from his trip to Kansas. He never made it back. Later that year, we moved into a house and my mom married Atticus.

I sighed, and looked over at the other bed.

Empty.

I looked at my phone for the time and practically jumped out of bed. 

7:57 AM.

Why was I sleeping in so much?

I raced into the bathroom, washed my face, got dressed, grabbed my bag, and left the room, heading into Café New for breakfast.

I loved that place.

I entered the café and sat down at a small table, taking out my phone. Nothing new.

"Hi, what would you like to order today?" The waitress asked me.

"Oh, um, may I have a hot chocolate and bread roll?"

"Of course," she said, writing it down. "Anything else?"

"Nope," I said.

"It'll be right up," she said, smiling.

"Thanks," I said. As I played a game on my phone, my nightmare continued to flash in and out of my head.

Why?

Why did this happen?

I rushed to check the date.

It was May 13th.

His birthday.

I tightly closed my eyes and remembered his face, the scar on his nose, his beautiful eyes, the way the world seemed happier when he smiled.