Once upon a time, it was dark and the baby wad crying in his arms. He tried to sooth her, but fail to make the baby cease. The new father was terrified for his wife. He tried to rock his newly born daughter, not to calm the child, but to keep his mind from thinking of the worst. It felt like an hour, when in reality it was only a few minutes when the doctor came into the room.

The father lifted his head and without hesitation said "Is Amy okay, is she going to make it?"

The doctor sighed and said, not looking him in the eye, "These things are never easy to say and I hope you understand that,"

The man clutched the child and held her closer in fear of knowing the answer to his question.

"Mr. Gardener, your wife, we had some complications." The doctor sighed again, "We did everything we could to keep her alive. We're sorry Mr. Gardener."

Mr. Gardener felt wet tears running down his face. Instead of yelling at the doctor or running and leaving the baby girl at the hospital (which what the doctor was expecting) he hated himself. He hated the day he fell in love with her, if he never did then she would be alive. Mr. Gardener hated how he hated the day he met Amy. But most of all he hated how he was alone with her child. A little girl who looked just like her mother, silky brown hair and almond brown eyes. He held the child up close to his face and kissed her little head. Tears ran down his cheeks, but he could never hate his little girl. He did not blame the baby for Amy's death in child birth, he couldn't blame anyone, but he felt like there was someone to blame.

The doctor interrupted Mr. Gardeners thoughts "Sir, in all respect, you still need to name the baby."

Mr. Gardener looked up and tried to think of a name, but his wife's death was showing to be a horrible burden on him.

Seeing this the doctor said "We had many books down the hall if you need help choosing."

"No."

The doctor was surprised with the sense of depression he had in his tone, "Excuse me, Mr. Gardener?"

"She wanted to name her Faye."

"Faye?"

Mr. Gardener nodded and looked down at Faye and whispered to her "I swear that I will do the best that I can to be a good father. I can never replace your mother, but I'll tell you all about her." He tried to keep from crying again, Mr. Gardener wiped his tears on his shoulder and continued, "I'll tell you about when we meet, and the day we got married, and when we found out we were going to be parents." He then began to lament, not for his wife this time, but for Faye. She would never grow up knowing her mother.

Three years later the death of his wife still weighed heavy on his heart. He had no money and barely had enough to take care of Faye. Then like a prayer heard he met a rich and beautiful woman. Hoping to make Faye's life better he married this woman named Neva. Neva could never take the place of Amy, but Mr. Gardener wanted the best for Faye like he said he would three years before. Faye had grown up not being too fond of Neva, not hating, but not liking. Then one day, when Faye was seven, she was waiting for her dad to pick her up from school. She waited, and waited.

"Daddy!" little Faye yelled at the school parking lot, "Where are you, hurry up!" she kicked the dirt and leaned back on the brick wall. She had been waiting for about an hour, which felt like an eternity for the second grader. Faye was the only one waiting for her family to pick her up and the parking lot only had a few cars.

Suddenly a dark gray car pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of Faye. She could see the silhouette of a woman inside. The woman's face was slowly revealed as she rolled the window down. Her jet black hair framed her beautifully structured face. The lady's blue eyes dazzled, but looked to bare a negative secret. She looked at the little girl and said sternly "Faye!"

Little Faye frowned, "Neva, why didn't my daddy pick me up?"

Neva looked away with a frown and narrowed eyebrows, "Your father's not feeling well."

Faye could think of her father lying on his bed watching TV with a thermometer in his mouth. She opened the car door and climbed in. Neva was always a little strict with Faye so she just sat in the back and kept her mouth shut. She looked at her little white shoes and how her toes could barely touch the floor. Faye started at her feet till she could feel the car take a different turn.

She looked up to see an ambulance on the side of the road. Neva got out of the car without a word. Faye then unbuckled herself and got out of the car. She saw that Neva was over by a crushed car and talking to an officer. Faye locked eyes on Neva and ran toward her familiar face. She ran, then suddenly, asphalt! She had tripped over something and she could hear a lady officer yelling behind her.

"Watch where you're going! Where are your parents!?" The officer had a stern tone like Neva's voice.

Faye got up and turned around to see someone laying on a gurney. The gurney was close to the ground and a black blanket was placed over the body. All except for the shoes, because Faye had tripped on them. The socks looked familiar, they looked like her dad's favorite pair.

"Where's your mommy?" Faye could tell she calmed down a little because her voice was softer.

"My daddy says she's with God." Faye replied.

"Well," The officer was thinking, "How about your daddy? Where's he?"

Faye shrugged "I think he's sick." She looked to see some grownup's taking the body away, "Who's that?"

The officer put on a smile and ignored Faye "You must have someone looking after you."

"Neva," Faye pointed over to Neva, "she's my stepmother."

The smile left the officer's face as she stepped forward and took Faye by the hand. They walked over to the striking woman named Neva.

"Ma'am," said the lady officer, "are you her guardian?"

"Yes," she said. Then she looked at Faye, "I thought I told you to stay in the car."

Faye shook her head, "You didn't say anything." Then she thought of the body on the gurney, "Where's my daddy?"

Seven year old Faye saw Neva quickly glance her eyes at the ambulance then back at Faye. Neva had a nervous look on her face, like she hoped that Faye didn't see her look at the ambulance. I'm dreaming Faye told herself daddy's fine. Faye could feel tears trying to form in her eyes Don't cry, that's not daddy's socks. Somewhere inside she knew that it was her dad's body on the gurney. He's dead she confessed to herself and he's never coming back. The tears that Faye held back trickled down the sides of her face.

"Faye," said Neva, but softer this time, "go to the car."

Following her order, Faye ran to the car and slammed the door behind her. There she lay in the backseat trying to deny that her father is dead.

Five years later and Faye will never forget that day. Faye knows what a wonderful man her father was. How he stayed strong even in his wife's death. Faye is twelve now, her silky, brown hair is as beautifully brown as ever and her almond eyes matching her winning smile. She is beautiful, what more can anyone say? Even more beautiful than Neva, and Neva knew it. How she knew it!

One day Faye put her backpack on the couch after a long day of school.

"Faye!" Neva called sternly as normal, "Put your backpack in your room! I don't want your stuff laying around when my date picks me up!"

"Your date!?" Faye called back.

Neva growled to herself then called "Just do what I told you!"

Faye sighed, grabbed her backpack and turned to head upstairs. She walked through her old playroom which was now filled with things for slumber parties. Then she came to her room. Two walls were filled with windows one wall giving a view of her backyard and garage, the other a view of the street next to her house. Plopping her backpack on her bed she heard the sound of Neva walking up the stairs. Faye sat on her bed waiting for what the stuffy stepmother had to say.

"Faye!" Neva said loudly despite standing in Faye's doorway, "you can keep a secret, can you?"

Suddenly Neva looked more menacing than strict. Faye raised and eyebrow, "I guess I can."

"Don't play stupid!" Neva shot a glare at her, "Give me your phone!"

Faye resisted.

"Now!" She yelled.

Faye grumbled and handed her the phone, "What's your secret?"

Neva backed out of the door smiling, "It's more like your secret." Quickly she slammed the door shut.

"What are you doing!" Faye yelled and ran to her door. It was locked. This door can't lock!? Faye's thoughts screamed. Then it became obvious that Neva had put something in front of the door. "Let me out! Let me out!" she banged on the door. Then Faye ran over to her street window, but it was quiet. Suddenly Faye regretted not having to deal with cars driving by her window at night. "Crap!" she muttered as she banged on the window. Faye realized that she was trapped in her room. I gotta get out of here! she thought I gotta call the cops or something! Neva's gone off the deep end! Faye ran to the air vent and yelling "Neva! Get me out! Now!"