Don Cragen sighed as he sat down in the living room. His daughter, Anna-lee, had told him to go wait in the living room. He knew his daughter well enough to know that he was in for it. Ever since his wife, Marge, had died fifteen years earlier when Anna-lee was three, he had buried himself a bottom a bottle and barely looked out. Today was the day he screwed up the most, Anna-lee graduated high school and he promised to be there. Little did he know that he would find himself passed out on the couch and only woken up when Anna-lee slammed the door so hard that the windows rattled. Her tear-stained cheeks told him he had missed it. So, here he found himself waiting for whatever punishment his daughter had planned, knowing that he deserved it and then some. Anna-lee walked out of her room with her laptop. She silently put it on the table and pressed play. A song he never heard came through the speakers of the surround sound he had installed years ago. Anna-lee took a deep breath and started to sing to him.
I remember looking up to him
And I remember most the time
He wasn't there
I'd be waiting at the door when he got home at night
He'd pass me by to go pass out in his chair
And I'd say, walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
You're footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
If you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me
He stumbled in the gym on graduation day
And I couldn't help but feel so ashamed
And I wasn't surprised a bit
When he didn't stay
He stumbled out before they called my name
And I thought, walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
It's not just me who's watching
You've caught everybody's eye
And you're tripping and stumbling
And even though I've turned 18
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're still leading me
The old ma's still like he always was
But I love him anyway
If I've learned one thing from him
It's my kids will never have to say
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
You're footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
If you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me
Yeah walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me
By the time the song was over, Anna-lee was sobbing hard. Don stared at her feeling like shit. He got up and slowly walked over to her. He engulfed her into a hug. She sobbed openly into his chest. Don held him to his chest and as he stared blankly at the wall. He had nothing to say.
"Anna-lee, I know there is nothing I can say to make this better. I'm going to try to get clean sweetie. I know I can never apologize enough for disappointing you." Anna-lee turned her head so her cheek as resting against his chest. She could hear the beat of his heart.
"I'm not disappointed Daddy. I'm scared. If you keep doing this, we won't be like this ever again. I won't hear your heartbeat anymore."
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise you, I know I've promised a lot but I'm keeping this one. I'm getting sober and I'm not letting you down again."
"I love you Daddy."
"I love you too sweetheart."
