Laguna stood in the doorway to his parents' bedroom and watched his father pack a suitcase. Brook was sitting on the bed crying as Clay threw his clothing roughly into the bag. Laguna toddled into the room and hugged his mother.

"Dun cry mommy," he said. Brook wiped her eyes and hugged Laguna back. "Mommy? Where's daddy going?" he asked, with wide, green eyes. Brook glanced down at him sadly and then broke into tears again. Laguna wasn't sure what to do, so he toddled around the bed to his father and tugged on the leg of Clay's pants.

"What Laguna?" his father asked impatiently, pushing the clothing down and closing the suitcase with a loud click. That sound seemed to make his mother cry louder.

"Where yoo going?"

"Away."

"Where?"

"…To Timber."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?"

"Because my job wants me to."

"How come yoo're not taking me and mommy?"

"…" Clay picked up the suitcase and walked out of the room. Brook picked Laguna up and carried him down the stairs after his father. She put him down at the base of the staircase, and Laguna ran to the door after his father. Clay put his coat and hat on and glanced down at his three-year-old son.

"When r yoo coming back?" Laguna asked.

"…" Clay walked to the door and opened it, picking his suitcase back up.

"Daddy! Dun leave wifout me!" Laguna grabbed his own coat and ran out the door after his father.

"Laguna! Come back, Laguna!" Brook ran after the small boy. She saw him standing next to the car, where Clay was kneeling down in front of him. Laguna was clutching his coat tightly and Brook could see tears forming in his eyes.

"Daddy, dun leave wifout me…" Laguna said, the tears beginning to fall down his cheeks. Clay sighed and put the suitcase in the backseat before kneeling down to Laguna's level.

"…Laguna. I can't take you with me. You have to stay here with your mother."

"But I wanna go wif yoo to Timmer."

"You can't." Clay stood up and ruffled Laguna's messy black hair. Then he glanced back at Brook and got into the car. Brook came forward and picked a struggling Laguna up as Clay backed the car slowly out of the driveway.

"No! Mommy put me down! I wanna go wif daddy!" Laguna cried, wriggling in her arms. Brook held him tightly as the car pulled completely out of the driveway and then turned down the street and left their view.

"Come on Laguna, let's go inside," she replied, hugging him. Laguna just sobbed and buried his face into her shoulder. Brook walked into the house and closed the door softly, still holding the little boy. "Shh… Laguna, it'll be okay."

"When is he coming back?" Laguna asked between sobs. Brook sighed and sat down on the couch, still holding him and wiped his tears.

"…He'll be back sometime… He… He went to Timber for his job and when he has a new place for us to stay, he'll send for us and we'll see him again," she lied. Laguna sniffled and wiped his eyes, nodding. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Okay. What do you think about going to get some ice cream?" she asked enthusiastically. Laguna grinned and nodded. Brook stood up again, got her coat, and opened the front door. "Come on," she said, picking up her keys. Laguna pulled his jacket on and stumbled out the front door.

"I luv yoo, mommy…" Brook smiled.

"I love you too, Laguna."

***

Laguna sat up slowly in bed and yawned. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and tumbled out of bed, dragging his blanket with him as he walked sluggishly down the stairs to eat breakfast. As he pulled his blanket into the dining room he noticed something was missing. He looked around for a second and remembered.

"Daddy?" Laguna called, walking toward the kitchen, where he could hear someone rattling pans. He saw his mother standing at the sink, washing dishes. "Hi mommy… Where's daddy? Did he leave for work early?" Brook blinked at Laguna and stared blankly at him for a moment.

"…He left, Laguna…"

"Oh, what time is he coming home?"

"…He's not, Laguna… Remember?" Laguna looked at her, confused for a second. Brook watched the boy as realisation dawned on his face.

"…Oh yeah…" Laguna turned his eyes to the floor and sniffled as the memory of his father's departure came back. He walked slowly out of the kitchen and sat down in his chair at the table, still clutching his blanket. Brook brought Laguna out a small bowl of cereal and a spoon and sat down across from him. She read the classifieds as Laguna ate his breakfast idly, staring blankly at his father's empty seat.

"Laguna? Are you done?" she asked after a moment; Laguna had put his spoon down.

"…Yeah."

"Okay," she said, standing up and taking his bowl. "Laguna, sweetie? What do you think about mommy getting a job?"

"A job?"

"Yeah, like daddy had, where I get up and go to work every morning."

"Can I go too?"

"…No, I'm afraid you can't. I'd have to get you a babysitter."

"I dun wanna babyswitter."

"Well, Laguna, mommy needs a job, and if she gets a job, you get a babysitter."

"I dun want you to get a job den."

"If I don't get a job then we'll have to live somewhere else."

"Oh… Otay…"

"It's okay?"

"Sure," Laguna said, shrugging. He got up from the table and dragged his blanket into the living room to the couch and sat down. Brook followed him in and sat next to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. Laguna laid his head in her lap and closed his eyes.

"I miss daddy…" Brook stroked his head softly as he slowly drifted back to sleep.

"I miss him too…"

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