Hannah's head rested in her hands, the plate of left-overs from the dinner of the previous night sitting untouched in front of her. Her wedding band lay beside it, glinting coldly in the light of the morning sun. It seemed unfair. How could such a beautiful day be full of so much agony?

"Mommy?" Her five-year old daughter shuffled into the kitchen. She had never realized what a strong resemblence she bore to her father.
"Good morning, darling. Did you sleep well?" she asked, extending her arms towards the girl, who eagerly moved into them.
"Yes." Suddenly overcome with emotion, Hannah didn't respond. Instead, she tightly embraced her daughter holding her as if she would never let go for several moments.
"Mommy, when's Daddy coming back?" The question caused Hannah to stiffen. How could she explain what had happened last night to her beloved child? "Mommy?" The girl stepped back and gazed at her with wide eyes.
"Abby, Daddy is... not coming back." It all seemed like a bad dream. Things had gone just fine until about half-way through dinner when she had noticed the lipstick stain on his collar. He had tried to hide it, but he had missed a spot. After an hour of practically begging him to tell the truth, he gave in and told her. What she had learned merely confirmed the suspicions she had had since after their daughter was born. Like a lovestruck fool, she had refused to think ill of the man she had married, the father of her child; he wasn't capable of betraying her like that...

The signals had only become clearer; absences from home increased, he stayed later and later at work, and he always smelled very strongly of his cologne when he came back as if he had tried to cover up another scent. But there had been no solid evidence until the night before. He hadn't told her who she was and she didn't want to know. It was bad enough knowing that he had taken her heart, which she had willingly and completely given him, and shattered it. How could he not expect her to find her out?

She hadn't even had to tell him to get of the house; oh, no, he took his clothes and necessities and left. He said that he couldn't do this to the woman he loved, which clearly wasn't her and hadn't been for a while, and was grateful for all that she had done for and been to him, but it was time to move on. And like that it was over. Ten years of "in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better or worse" suddenly didn't matter. The woman who had supported and encouraged him, borne his child, cooked his meals, and kept his house in order wasn't enough for him. So what if she wasn't as young as she once was and hadn't been able to regain the figure that she had been so proud of after giving birth?

Hannah had made so many sacrifices for him! She had quit her job once they had married so she could make a home for him. Dinner was always ready on time, the house and garden were neat and tidy, the fridge was stocked, and Abby well-behaved and excelling in school. What more could a man want from a woman? The best years of her life wasted a man who would never realize what he had meant to her. Years she would never, could never, get back...

"Why not? Mommy, why are you crying?" To her surprise, she realized that she was. Abby stepped towards her, embracing Hannah tightly. She wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"I don't know, I honestly don't know," she whispered through her tears. "I am crying because I am sad and going to miss your father very much. I also feel sad for not realizing..."
"Please, don't cry! It will be okay, Mommy." Hannah chuckled. Such words of wisdom... Well, she had a job. They would be all right. She smiled down at her daughter, who showed so much potential... It would be up to her to see her grow into it. The flow of tears subsided into a thin trickle.
"Yes, it will. Now, why don't you go brush your teeth and pick out an outfit? We'll go... do something fun once you're ready." Abby's face brightened.
"Can we go to the zoo?" Hannah nodded.
"Of course." Abby squealed with delight and raced to the bathroom. Clearly the news that she had just been given hadn't sunk in. It would take some time. Hannah didn't want to rush her daughter any. She stuck the plate of food that was still sitting in front of her. Sighing, she began to eat the warmed-over remnants of yesterday. That was all she would ever have.

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