The only memory Edward had of his father was the night he left home. He could never escape that memory. In his nightmares he saw the horrified and saddened look on his mother's face, and the realization that his father might not ever come back.
Trisha Elric stood silently by the door watching her husband pack a small handbag. Tears ran down her cheeks and fell to the floor. He was leaving; again. Heaven could only tell when he'd be back.
"Hoenhiem! Hoenhiem, please don't go! Please! The boys and I need you! I need you! What about us?"
"I have a lead in East City. I'm not about to let it slip through my fingers like the last time!"
She muttered a reply, but tears choked her words.
Edward and Alphonse heard their father's shouts from the bedroom. Neither were old enough to completely understand what was going on, but their curiosity lead them into their parents' bedroom at a run.
Throwing the door open, Al saw his mother kneeled on the ground in tears. Without a word, he threw himself onto her in a hug.
Forgetting all of his grammar lessons he asked, "Mommy, Daddy, what wrong?"
"He's leaving," she whispered, still not able to grasp the concept herself.
"That's right, son. I'm going to find it this time. I may not be back for a while." He rubbed Alphonse's thick brown hair.
"Leaving!" Edward dashed into the room. "But you can't! Don't go!"
Hoenhiem picked up his brown leather handbag and tossed it easily over his shoulder. He started down the hallway and towards the door.
One look at his mother's face and Edward knew that his mother was too shocked and saddened to do anything about it. With the logic of any three-year-old, Edward threw his arms around his father's leg and locked his legs around him.
"Daddy, no! You make Mother cry!"
Hoenhiem didn't comment. Instead he roughly shoved Edward off of his leg and threw open the door.
It was raining out side. He grabbed his cloak and stood in front of the door. Lightning flashed and the lights flickered off. Everything in the Elric house seemed dark and scary.
"DADDY!" Al screamed.
"Hoenhiem! Think of your sons for once! Think of me! We need you here!" Trisha half screamed half sobbed.
Lightning flashed again, illuminating Hoenhiem's dark form against the electric midnight blue sky. He turned and shut the door. He was gone.
Trisha threw herself at the door, but it wouldn't budge. She turned the handle, but it would not give into her persistent tugging. Finally she sank to the floor in a sobbing heap.
Suddenly she was aware of a tiny hand gripping for hers in the dark. She could barely make out the outlines of Al's confused face staring at her for an answer. Edward collapsed beside her, leaning his head against her arm and crying aloud.
She looked to her children, scared and confused. She realized that they were too young to understand why this had happened. She had to be strong for them.
"Edward, my little man, get me a candle and a match. We'll weather this storm together. All by ourselves if we must, but we'll always, always have eachother."