Miranda's Background Excerpt

''No! No, daddy!''

She couldn't stop crying. Her small hands were trying as best as they could to grab his shirt to make him stay. She had heard her mommy and daddy arguing and had eavesdropped on them, only to find out his daddy had already packed his stuff in a big suitcase. Miranda screamed and tears ran down her face while her mother sobbed beside her, her hand curled up under her nose as she stared at her husband.

She looked up, barely seeing anything through her eyes filled with tears. Her mouth was twisted in an ugly grimace, her heart beating hard against her chest. How could this happen to them? What was wrong?

''Daddy, don't go!''

Upon her exact words, she saw her daddy shook his head and walk away, holding his suitcase tightly as though it was the only thing he had left in this world. And it was.

Her mommy burst into tears and slammed the door, crumbling to the floor. Miranda had just enough time to scream her lungs out and hold out her hand to try and reach her daddy before he turned the corner and went out of their lives forever. But she hadn't made it in time and the door closed in front of her. The little girl was shaking with heart-wrenching sobs. Her mommy, crying, wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Miranda knew, deep down, that it was only her and her mommy now.

And she was right for he never came back.