And I wonder, would I give my life

Could I make that sacrifice?

If it came down to it

Could I take the bullet, I would

Yes I would, for you

~For You~ Keith Urban

Cat POV

Wednesday, May 27th, 2011

"Cat!" I heard my father's voice through my bedroom door, "Sweetie come down here. Mom and I have to talk to you," he told me.

"KK!" I called down to him, "I'll be down in a minute. I said putting my sketchpad down. I had been drawing the mini-chandelier that hung in the middle of my room. When I got downstairs my parents, Lisa and Derik, were sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Hello Cupcake," Dad said. He had always called me that. Even before I discovered how amazing cupcakes were; especially red velvet cupcakes.

"Sit down honey," Mom said motioning toward the chair, "We have to tell you something," That didn't sound good.

"Okay what is it?" I smiled at them to cover up how much they were freaking me out. Dad pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes and then ran his hands through his dark brown hair, "Daddy, what's wrong?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"Cat, I have to go back to Afghanistan," his voice was firm. It was like he was trying to make me feel better, which wasn't working. But it also seemed like he was trying to keep himself calm.

"But-But why?" I asked my bottom lip trembling, "You just got back. That's not fair," I cried, "It's not fair Daddy," I was crying angrily now.

"I know baby," he said, but there isn't anything I can do about it," he had tears rolling down his cheeks and Mom was sitting on the couch crying silently, "Please don't do this, Cat. I know this is hard but we can't do anything about it and I can't handle seeing you this way," he said.

"When do you leave?" I asked him sitting back down.

"Friday morning," he informed me, "We're going to keep you home for the rest of the week if you want to stay home," he told me, "Mom has to work but you and I can spend some time together before I have to go," he said.

"Yeah, okay. Two whole days," I said. Then more tears started falling when I remembered something, "Daddy, you're gonna miss my graduation. And my birthday," I sniffled.

"I know Cupcake, I'm sorry," he knelt down in front of me wiping the tears from my eyes, "I wish it didn't have to be this way," he said, "But we have all week together and I will be home before you know it," he kissed my forehead, "Okay?"

"Okay," I said nodding my head, "Can I go back upstairs now?" I asked sadly. He nodded and kissed the top of my head.

Walking back into my bedroom I tossed my sketchpad onto the floor and crawled under the blankets. This wasn't supposed to happen. At least not this soon. I knew he would have to go back eventually but why now? He hasn't even been home for three months. Eventually, after asking myself a million questions, I cried myself to sleep.

Friday, May 30th, 2011

Things happen a lot faster when you wish they would happen a lot slower. Like when you have two days to spend with your father before he leaves for Afghanistan for who knows how long. Those 48 hours I had spent with him went by in a blur and now, as we drove to the airport, seemed like 15 minutes. I sat in the backseat of my mom's black Range Rover in silence. I was wearing an orange, one shoulder shirt with thin grey stripes. I had on a pair of white cropped pants, orange Chuck Taylor's and a black fedora that my dad bought me when we went to New York a few summers ago.

We all walked into the airport. Dad held Mom's hand and he had his arm wrapped around my shoulders. My dad was only being flown out to the army base tonight. They wouldn't be flying him overseas until tomorrow. He was wearing a shirt that I had bought him as a joke. It said 'YouDon't Scare Me I Have a Daughter'. I saw it at the mall once and bought it for him while he was still overseas. He loved it.

"Okay this is it," Dad said, "I have to get through security still so come here," he held his arms open and I walked into them. His long arms encircled my tiny body and I immediately started crying, "Everything is going to be fine Cupcake," he told me, "I'll write you all the time and I will call when I can," he said, "Don't worry about me love. I'll be home before you know it. And take care of your mom kid," I nodded and wiped my eyes.

"I love you Daddy," I told him as tears fell from my eyes, "Please be safe," I stepped up on the tips of my toes and kissed his cheek. Then I walked over to a bench and sat down while my parents said their goodbyes.

"Cat, honey, let's go," Mom called over to me as Dad was going through security. He smiled and blew me a kiss before walking through. I kept looking over my shoulder at him until I couldn't see him anymore, "Cat can you hurry up please?" Mom tugged on my arm.

"Yeah, sorry," I said catching up to her. We got to the car and I climbed into the front passenger's seat, "He's gonna be okay right?" I looked over at my mom.

"Of course he is honey," she said, "Just don't think about that," she told me, "Just think of your dad being a brave man who has been defending our country for 22 years," she said. I nodded and leaned my head back on the seat.

Six Months Later

After Dad left for Afghanistan things took a turn for the worse; for Mom at least. Mom always came home from work late. That is when she went to work. And when she was at home she was either drinking or taking painkillers; sometimes both.

I however was doing really well. I started taking classes at UCLA and since the school was so close to where I lived I didn't need to get an apartment or live on campus so I could stay home and keep an eye on my mom. Dad had told me to take care of her and I feel like I was failing at that. I was taking care of her but she shouldn't be in the shape that she's in right now.

It was around 10:00AM and I was getting ready to leave for my first class, which started at 10:45AM. I was wearing high rise skinny jeans, a Rock graphic top, and ankle boots. Then I added colored wood bracelets, a rhinestone ring, and a layered, beaded, necklace.

I grabbed my books and walked downstairs when the doorbell rang, "Just a second!" I shouted not knowing if they could hear me through the front door as I jogged down the stairs. Setting my books on the counter I went to answer the front door. But I really wish I hadn't.

"Hello is this the Valentine residence?" a man in a military uniform asked. There was another man beside him but he was just standing there looking stoic.

"Uh, yes it is," I smiled. I knew why they were here. They were going to tell me that my father has been killed and I couldn't do anything about it.

"Is Mrs. Lisa Valentine home?" he asked. Tears were gathering in my eyes.

"No, no she's at work," I tried blinking back the tears but a single tear fell from my eye, "She's not home," I said shaking my head and wiping the tear from my cheek, "Ummm…I already know why you're here so if you could please just say it that would be great," I said sitting down on the couch.

Everything was a blur from there. From what I understood of the whole thing my dad and his unit drove over some sort of explosive device. I wasn't really paying attention. The only part I cared about was the fact that my father had been killed.

"Miss Valentine can you just give this to your mother," the man asked handing me a folder type thing, "Have her look through it and then give me a call. We can make funeral arrangements from there," he told me. I nodded and they left.

I was dreading telling my mother. She walked in the door at 7:30PM that night and I was in the same spot on the couch. I had been sitting there all day I just couldn't find the energy to move. Mom took off her jacket and hung it on the rack before walking into the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen and set her purse on the counter.

"Hi honey," Mom said, "How was school today?" she asked. Oh God. She was in a good mood today. I was about to ruin that.

"I didn't go to school today Mom," I told her, "Something came up and I just couldn't make it," I informed her.

"What's the matter, honey," Mom walked into the living room and sat onto the couch beside me, "You seem really upset," she said.

"Mom, some military guys showed up earlier today," I started. Tears started gathering in my eyes, "Mom, Dad is dead," I told her. Her smile dropped.

"How come you didn't call me?" she asked. Tears of anger were falling from her eyes, "Cat, when something like this happens you call me. You can't just handle it on your own!" she shouted at me.

"Mom I tried calling you at least ten times," I told her, "It's not my fault they came here when they did and it's not my fault Dad was killed! You can't blame me for this!" I cried before running up to my bedroom.

November, 30th, 2011

It was two weeks later and the day of my father's funeral. My mom had been consulting with the officers who came to our house the day I was told he had been killed. There was a small town near Los Angles where the funeral was to be held.

Mom and I were sitting in a beautiful open field in the shade of an oak tree. There were people surrounding us but I just tuned everything out. That is until my mother was handed the folded up flag that had been cover my father's coffin and his ID tags. She held them close to her chest and began to sob. Soon after that there were guns being shot off and every time it happened it flinched.

Then I watched as my father's coffin was lowered into the ground. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks and I reached for my mother's hand but she just pulled away from me. That made more tears come. I had no idea what I had done. But ever since that day she had been so cold to me. She didn't talk to me; she barely acknowledged my existence.

When we got home later that night my mom set the flag and the tags on the counter. Then she grabbed the bottle of sleeping pills and walked up to her room. I followed her up the stairs and went the opposite direction to my bedroom.

I took a shower before changing into a pair of navy blue yoga shorts, a white t-shirt that had 'I 3 Cats' on it and a pair of white socks. I brushed my hair our before climbing into bed. I couldn't sleep. I just cried. My dad was gone. This wasn't fair. I was completely infuriated. I just cried until I fell asleep. It was just like the night he told me he was leaving. Only this time he wasn't coming back.

December, 15, 2011

I woke up with a massive headache. I walked downstairs to find some aspirin to take. I looked through the cupboards not finding anything. Then I figured that Mom probably had them in her room. She had pretty much every painkiller in her bedroom. After Dad died she had come become dependent on them. She was completely addicted to them. Both painkillers and sleeping pills. I walked up to my mom's room and knocked on the door.

"Mom, do you have any aspirin in there?" I called through the door, "Mom!" I pounded my fist against the door trying to wake her up. She wasn't answering so I opened the door and walked in. Mom was passed out cold. She probably took too many sleeping pills again. "Mom, wake up," I shook her shoulder lightly, "You have work in an hour," I said.

I looked around and found the bottle of aspirin which was more than halfway gone. I had just bought this a few days ago. Then I saw the bottle of sleeping pills of the floor. It was empty. I felt like my heart sopped, "Mom, wake up!" I cried shaking her. I had a feeling in my gut, that she was dead. She wasn't breathing and she didn't have a pulse. I called 911 and just waited trying futilely to get her to breath.

My mother was pronounced DOA when the paramedics arrived. I just sat down on the floor against her bed and cried. I was surprised I even had any tears left. I thought after everything with my dad I had used all of them.

I guess not.

I know this chapter is really short. And very fast paced; it's more of a summary really. I just wanted to set everything up in this chapter so it's not all drawn out and I can just delve into the actual story, which I hope you like. Please review and let me know!

Thanks

: )