Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in days of our lives, except for the ones I make up on my own. I am not in any way affiliated with the show. I wish I was though.

Note: This chapter is short, I know, but the rest will have more meat to them. This was just an introductory chapter. Please read and review! Thanks!

Chapter One

Hope looked at the calendar; February 2, 2008. She sighed, rubbing her hands on her face. She looked over at Bo, solemnly, lowering her head gently. Today would have been their daughter's 18th birthday; they would celebrate, either way, but it wouldn't be the same. It had never been the same, not since she was three, not since she had been kidnapped. They'd been sure they could find her; after all, Salem was a small town and everyone knew everyone. There was no place to hide a toddler; but the kidnappers had gotten away, and their daughter had never been seen again.

"Happy Birthday, Faith" Hope whispered, running her hand along the dusty antique picture frame that held her daughter's last photo.

Bo looked at his wife, trying not to look too concerned; he too, was sad, but he had long since faced that she would never come back. He set his hand on his wife's shoulder and turned her chin gently towards him. "Why don't we go out tonight to eat instead of staying inside? We can take Ciarra to the park or something and I'll pick us up something to eat from the Pub."

Hope shook her head; no, today's birthday, though the most special in the Brady clan, would be just like any other usual birthday. Although there would be no party and presents, Hope would still cook, and the Brady's would still gather around a candle lit birthday cake, and sing Happy Birthday to the child they once loved.

"Come on, Fancy Face. We can't keep doing this. She isn't coming home"

"That doesn't mean she never existed" Hope whispered venomously; she would never stop these birthday rituals in her daughter's honor; and she would never admit that these birthday rituals, done once a year, were what kept her going the rest of the 364 days remaining out of the year.

"Alright" Bo sighed, defeated. "You win. Give me a list and I'll go out and get what we need"

Hope smiled and handed him the list she'd already filled out earlier that morning.

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Bo had always hated grocery shopping; ever since he was little. He always seemed to buy the wrong things. First his mother had yelled at him, in good nature, of course, and then, as he got older, Hope would scold him for not sticking to the list. He couldn't help it, though; he was a man, and men liked food. He grabbed what he liked off the shelves, completely disregarding the list until the end; he looked down at the list with watery eyes- he didn't want to pick out the birthday cake- he didn't want to forget his daughter, but he wanted to move on. It hurt him, every year, buying a cake with her name on it, singing a song for her, all of which she would never even get to experience. She was dead, there was no other explanation. Why couldn't they just let her rest in peace?

He went over to the bakery, grabbed any old cake, and tossed it in the basket. There, the task was done. He could move on. He sighed as he looked down at the cake; it wasn't even their daughter's favorite flavor, or her favorite color. He picked the cake up, put it back on the shelf, and this time, with more consideration, picked one out he was sure she would have liked, and had the baker write her name on it. Happy 18th, Faith!

Bo looked over the cake and smiled; "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart" He whispered to himself, finally content. He walked up and paid the cashier for their groceries, and his daughter's birthday cake.

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