Chapter 3: Arriving Home

They didn't live that far from the mall, but this time it seemed to take three times as long to get home. The moment they arrived home, Cassie ran to the garden to play with her new ball.

Sydney felt glad to finally have a moment on her own. The whole ride home, Cassie had talked about Vaughn. As much as she loved her daughter, it hurt too much to talk about him, 'cause he was the one who had left her behind with a child.

While she started preparing dinner, she thought about the life they once had together.

Twenty minutes later she went to the garden to call her daughter.

"Honey, dinner is ready!"

"I'm coming mommy!" They both walked hand in hand to the kitchen.

A while later they were finished and went to the living room.

"Mommy?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can I please watch 'Toy Story'?" She really loved that movie, especially Mister Potato Head! If Sydney let her she would watch it everyday.

"Sure, but not the whole movie, OK? You have to go to bed in 30 minutes!"

"OK…Will you please watch it together with me?"

"Of course, pumpkin!" Sydney sat down on the couch and the little girl came over to sit on her lap. It didn't take long before Cassie drifted off to sleep.

Sydney smiled and gently strokes her daughters 'hair. She stopped the movie, slowly got up and took the little girl in her arms to carry her upstairs. She carefully tucked her in and placed a kiss on the girls' forehead.

"I love you" she whispered and turned off the light. Just as Sydney was ready to go downstairs, she heard Cassie calling her.

"Mommy?"

"Yes sweetie, what's wrong?" Cassie sat up straight in bed.

"What happened to my daddy?"

"I told you before honey. Daddy had to go work in France, so he had to leave us."

"Why couldn't we go with him?" she whined.

"Because mommy couldn't leave her job and her friends, OK? Now go back to bed because you have to get up early in the morning!" It was just too painful to talk about him with her daughter.

"Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite!"

"I won't and mommy?"

"Yes?"

"If they bite, will you chase them away?"

"Of course, sweetie. Love you!"

"Love you too!" This said, Sydney went to her own room and went to bed.

At the same moment she drifted of to sleep, Vaughn lied in his own bed thinking about her and her little girl. He thought about the pain he had seen in her eyes when she had looked at him. It hit him that he was the cause of that, because he had left her five years ago.

By the time he had fallen asleep, he had already lied awake for a few hours.

Authors Note: First of all…Thank you for the wonderful reviews!!

                          They really mean a lot to me! I hope you all let me know what you

                           think of this chapter…Good or bad…

                            And next chapter will be up soon!!        --Ms.MV--