Prologue
EPOV
This would be the last time I thought about her – ever. I knew even as I thought it that it would be a near impossible feat. But I had to try for my little girl… and for myself. I would always love her, no matter what she had done, and even though I was now irreversibly bitter and angry, I would put it aside forever. Sometimes I hated her – for making me love her, for never loving me back – and at other times I wished for another chance to hold her, to feel comforted by her mere presence, knowing that she could erase all my fears and frustrations. In other words I was an emotional wreck, and delusional. I was no longer so naïve as to think love can cure all evils but a guy could dream couldn't he?
I heard Claire, my little 2 year old, crying in her cot and made my way upstairs. Entering her room, I looked down at my daughter and felt all the love I was capable of giving go towards her. Claire was one of the reasons she left, but no matter what happened I could never despise my baby girl. She was too precious. If anything, it made my fury towards her grow. Who could leave something so gorgeous? As I picked her up in an attempt to soothe her, she quietened down and whispered softly in my ear, 'I wuv uu dardy'. With that my resolve strengthened, and I vowed I would never let her down. If that meant moving on from her then that's what I would do. I would be the best possible father from here on in. Allowing myself one last thought of my love, seeing her beautiful face in my mind, I let her go. She would always be present in Claire's heartbreaking chocolate eyes, but that couldn't be helped. It was time to move on.