That day haunts me for the rest of my life. Its like a nightmare that I will never forget.It makes me who I am.

"What you lookin for? A black eye?" my dad would ask and burst in laughter when ever I would be looking for something. As a child my dad was my world. I loved my mother also but I was the epitome of a daddy's girl. I wanted to be just like my dad and he could do no wrong in my eyes. My sisters and brother hated him, but longed for his atention and acceptance. They would talk bad about him and I would defend him. One day they were saying that he was going to leave my mother. My body filled with anger. Hot tears of pain rolled down my face because I believed, I knew, he would never do that to her. So as you can imagine it came as a shock when that day actually came.

I was sleeping in my room, on the bottom bunk bed, between my two sisters. Peggy and Justine would come to stay with us every now and then, but they ran away as soon as they could to get away from my dad. As I woke up I tried to crawl over them so I wouldn't wake them. As I walked into the living room I seen that my dad was already up. He was dressed and was waiting for me."Go get ready. I and you are going for a ride. Just the two of us." I ran to my room and tried to hurry but be as quite as I could because I didn't want my sisters to wake up and ruin my special day with just me and Dad.

As we walked out to the car I noticed that he was walking slower than normal, almost as though he didn't want to go. I tried to ignore it because I loved my special times with my Dad. When we got into the big black Pathfinder that dawrfed my tiny 4'11" frame I noticed something else different in my father. There was something in his eyes that I have never seen before, but would see many times after. My dad is a man's man, he's strong, confidant and succesful, and he never showed pain. The ride there and back is all a blur to me now. I only remember that moment, I couldn't forget it if I wanted. "Sarah, there's something I have to tell you." as he said this I seen that look again. I couldn't place it and it scared me. To see this look scared me with all that I had. "I and your mother...We love each other very much.Just not like husband and wife anymore. More like brother and sister."
After that I dont know what he said. His words were foriegn. It was as though he was speaking another language. I tried to look out the window but I couldnt concentrate. Images that should be engraved in my brain were hard to hold. My world was falling apart in that short moment.

As we pulled into the drive way I thought about everyone and I thought about my mom. Did they all know? Were they all laughing at me, I was so happy to go on this trip. I just kept thinking this over and over in my head and the next thing I know I was standing in the house. I walked into my parents room and seen my mom. I seen her eyes and I realized what I had seen in my dad's. It was pain, it was sorrow.I ran to her becuase I know she knew what had happend. I held her and she held me and I cried. I cried for her, I cried for me, I cried for us becuase we were the only ones who didnt know.

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