It's My Dad's Birthday Today ...

And since dads have (unfortunately) been a theme on my blog as of late, I'm going to tell you, my IIF's, a story:

She was in grade four-ish. Her parents were fighting all the time. They tried to hide it from her, but kids are, of course, more observant than they seem. Every night they got into arguments after she and her sister were 'asleep.' She was scared.

Her dad moved back and forth from their house to a friends' he was staying at. She sat on the bed and watched him pack. She cried. Maybe if she'd made her bed every morning. Why did she complain about clearing off dinner dishes? Was it that he knew she'd tried to trick him about brushing her teeth before bed? She watched him leave.

The girl's mom let her stay up past her sister. She got ready for bed and her mom called her to the family room. She sat on her mom's lap facing her -- she noticed that her mom looked so sad, like a little girl. She worried. Her mom said to the girl that her dad wasn't staying with friends. He was staying with his girlfriend. The air left her lungs. A girlfriend?? She shook her head hard, trying to force the thought to leave. But it stayed. She collapsed and sobbed and her mom held her. They both cried.