Dear Daddy

I was only three when you died, so I don't remember you very well. But I do remember how much you loved Mom and me—you were always taking pictures of all of us together, making Mom smile and making everyone around you so happy. It was hard growing up without you.

Mom . . . She acted strong after you were gone. She put on a brave face and smiled for people, but . . . it never reached her eyes. I always wished that I could have been more of a comfort to her, but my love for her was never enough. She never truly got over losing you. It might have been better if they had caught who had done it, y'know? If they'd had to pay for what they had done. It might have helped her to cope.

I remember one night when some angry-looking men in military uniforms came to talk to her—question her, I figured out later. I wasn't allowed to be in the room with her when they did, but that didn't stop me from listening at the door. Just because I'm your little angel, didn't stop me from being there for my mom.

At first, they were nice. They sounded concerned for the both of us. But then . . . I heard them saying that a witness had come forward . . . At the time, I was too young to truly understand the gravity of the

accusation—all I knew was that the officers said that the witness had seen Mom shoot you. And that made Mom cry.

The officers left and didn't come back after that—I realized later that it was because they didn't have enough evidence, thank goodness. I never believed it, though. Never. Neither did Uncle Roy and Auntie Ed (by the way, Havoc says that he owes you twenty bucks for that one). They told us once that it was really someone called a . . . homunculus that had done it. One that could shape-shift. Though it's hard to believe, I'd rather it be that than the other option…

Uncle Roy said that you knew . . . that you knew about the homunculi. And that was why you had died—because you knew their secret. I wish that you hadn't. I wish that you hadn't been so good at your job. Maybe then . . . you would be here with me.

I'm married now. Yes, your little girl is all grown up. Don't worry, Daddy—I think that you would have really liked him. His name is Luther and he's a lieutenant colonel in the military—I guess Mom and I are more alike than I thought. We both fell for a man in uniform . . .

Luther's a good man. He takes care of Avner and me. Oh, Avner . . . Avner's my little boy. That's right—I'm a mom now. Your baby has a baby all her own. Oh, Daddy, you would have loved Avner. He's so smart and precious and you would have just adored him. I'm sure that I would have had to steal your camera away to keep you from taking pictures of him.

I miss you, Daddy. You died twenty-three years ago today. And if I could go back in time—if I had ever had the guts to learn alchemy—I would have brought you back. You better believe that I would have. I would have, Daddy. But . . . we both know that that isn't possible, no matter how much I wish it were.

I love you . . . and I know Mom does, too. I can't tell you how much I miss you and how I wish that you could be here to see my family. I promise to never forget about you . . . Goodbye

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Elysia Hughes kneeled before her father's grave and placed the letter that she had written to him earlier that day against his headstone, her bright green eyes clouding with unshed tears. Today was a day of momentous things—both wonderful and heart-breaking and every year Elysia had trouble telling whether her tears were happy or sad. Because today was both the anniversary of her father's death . . . and theday on which her only son had been born a mere three years ago . . .

"Elysia? Sweetheart?" said a comforting voice from behind her and she felt a warm, soft pressure on her shoulder. "Honey, I hate to rush you, but we'd better get going. Avner's party starts in about an hour."

"Yeah, Mommy!" came the melodious sound of her son's voice. "We have to be there for cake! Otherwise everyone else will eat it!" Elysia smiled sadly and looked up over her shoulder at her family: Luther, his usually immaculate blonde hair now askew from the playful tugging it was getting from Avner, who was perched upon his father's shoulders.

Her son's happy blue orbs turned suddenly worried as he noticed the moisture dancing around the halos of his mother's eyes. "Mommy?" the little boy questioned, tilting his blonde head to one side and holding his hands out to her. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Forcing herself to stand, Elysia took hold of her son's chubby little outstretched fist and kissed it gently, letting a silent tear slide down her check—as always, she never questioned whether it was a tear of joy or sorrow. It was something that she would never know.

"Yes Angel," she said quietly. "I am." The young woman looked at her husband then, and he handed her the bouquet of flowers that he had been holding, offering her a comforting smile. She thanked him silently, then turned back and leant down to place the flowers between her parents' graves . . .

As the three blondes turned to begin their journey back to the car, Luther wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders and leant in to kiss her temple and mutter gentle words of encouragement to her. She smiled, casting one last look over her shoulder at her father and mother, before turning back and moving forward, one hand intertwined with her husband's . . . the other hanging at her side, a camera dangling from her wrist.

Authors Note: I love you Lina! If I didn't make that clear with my poem 'I Love You Lina' on fictionpress, well I will here I love you! Yes my fellow readers, again BlackMercifulFaerie has helped me with this fic. I came up with the idea wrote it up and she took it from me, butchered it, tweaked it, add and deleted stuff, and yet somehow kept it my own. For some reason I cannot write FMA fanfics without her help. I can write my own stories or any other anime fic, but I can't do FMA without her. I think it's cuz she knows everything there is to know about FMA. Anyhoo don't forget to give her some credit.

Puppy