Maya wiped her tears away. Why was she crying about this? But she couldn't stop the tears. It hurt too much. Why did it hurt? What did he ever do for her? Why was his death so… effective?

He was dead. Her father, the one who left them when she was little was pronounced dead. He hanged himself in his apartment bathroom. The police called her mom, Katy and when she found out, she dropped the phone and fell on her knees.

"What happened!?" Maya screamed. Shawn, Maya's step-father rushed over. Katy couldn't even look up at her husband and her daughter. "H-he's d-dead," She whispered very quietly and uneasily. "Who's dead!?" Shawn yelled, shaking Katy a bit. "Kermit," She told him as she looked into his eyes. Then she turned to her daughter in tears. "Your father, baby." Maya stopped. Her heart stopped, her world stopped, everything came to a screeching halt.

How he died was even more tragic. He hung himself. A few of his friends claimed that he was going through a bit of depression, but they didn't think it'd be that serious. But it was. He was dead.

It has been a week since the funeral. Maya and her family did go to pay their respects, but Maya didn't want to see her mom cry or her step-father. She kind of wanted them to think she was okay with this.

Why did she feel this way? I mean it was her father. She thought that showing Shawn and her mom that it wasn't a big deal that he died would say a lot. Like how he was never there for her so why should she care what happened to him?

But inside, deep down, she cared so much. She lost someone that… couldn't be replaced. Maya knew she was better off without her father, but just knowing he was okay would satisfy her.

Her mother eventually found out and Maya refused to go to school for two weeks. She would stay under her covers and sob for hours on end. She had lost a lot of weight from not eating too.

Maya's mom came into her room on Monday the beginning of the second week. Maya had her covers around her head, but you could still hear faint sobbing. Katy's heart melted. Her daughter was in pain. Even though Maya was never close to her father, she knew that this was one of the most traumatic situations Maya has ever been.

She walked over to Maya's bed and sat down. "Baby girl," She whispered as she started to stroke the covers. Maya stopped crying and came out from underneath her covers. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked like a mess.

Katy took one look at her daughter and started to cry with her. Maya couldn't hold it in. She fell onto Katy and cried all the more. "It's gonna be okay," She told her. Why all of this pain? Over someone who never cared?

"It hurts, mommy!" Maya wailed. Katy stroked her daughter's hair. "I know, baby," She whispered. Maya and Katy both settled down a little bit. Maya wiped her eyes and asked whilst stuttering, "W-why a-am I in p-pain?" Maya asked. "H-he was n-never t-there for m-me."

Katy thought for a minute, but then replied, "Because, you know that deep down inside, your daddy still cared about you. And that he wanted what was best for both of us." "How was leaving us best for us?" Maya asked.

Katy didn't know how to answer that one. She honestly didn't know her ex-husband's true motives. But anytime she'd come in contact with her, he would tell her, "Please let Maya know I love her. More than anything. And me not being in her life… is for the better."

Katy never told her daughter that he said that. She'd just roll her eyes and tell him he was such a jerk. "I took advantage of your father's love for you," Katy confessed. Maya looked at her confused. "I thought his love for you wasn't real, but it was," She told her.

"But how?" Maya asked. She wanted more. She wanted to know that her father truly died loving her and not just pretending. "Your father left me because of our relationship. It had nothing to do with you, baby. He left me… because of me… He left me because he knew that I'd give you a better future than he ever would. He gave you up so that you could live happy," Her mother explained.

Maya didn't know what to say. All of these emotions were stirring up within her. "Let me ask you a question," Katy started. Maya looked into her mother's eyes as Katy asked, "Did you love your father?" Part of Maya wanted to yell no. But she knew it wasn't true. If she didn't love her father than she wouldn't be going through this much pain?

"Oh momma, of course I did!" She exclaimed as she started to sob again. Katy hugged her daughter and rocked her back and forth as Maya cried in her arms once again.

She went back to school the next day. She told her friends all what had happened and the unwanted love for her father. Maya knew that in her heart that'd she'd never forget her him. And how much he really cared.

-THE END