-1Maggie carefully opened the door, as quiet as she could. She had heard Marge leave for the shops a while ago. The house was quite empty and silent, except for the sound of Maggie's door creaking silently, and something that could be identified as Santa's Little Helper rummaging in the kitchen.

"Hello, boy," Maggie said and dropped to her knees. Santa's Little Helper happily greeted her by drooling on her t-shirt and licking her face. "I actually missed you," Maggie whispered and scratched him behind the ears.

Getting to her feet, she looked at the door of the fridge. It looked much the same as the last time she saw it. She opened the door and started searching the contents of the fridge. She found a bar of chocolate and sat down at the kitchen table, studying the expiration date. She remembered being told about the time Homer had eaten a pack of old baking soda on a dare. Homer… she shook her head. She mustn't think of her father now.

A door slammed, and Maggie quickly jumped to her feet. Surely, she couldn't be back so soon…? She had barely be gone ten minutes! The door opened and, to her relief, Bart entered the kitchen, throwing his car keys on the kitchen counter and opening the fridge.

"Hey, sis'," he greeted her and scratched Santa's Little Helper on the back. "Nice too see you out of your room, for once," he said and sat down in a chair. "How do you survive up there?" he asked her and threw his feet up on the table.

"I come down when she isn't home," Maggie said and opened her chocolate bar. "And I manage to eat something once in a while. It's getting harder, seeing she never ever leaves this stupid kitchen."

"Really?" Bart sounded surprised.

"Yeah, really. She just sits here and cries all day."

"She never cries when I'm home."

"She puts on a good face for you," Maggie said and rolled her eyes. "She thinks I don't hear her when I'm up in my room. Like the walls aren't thin enough to hear everything." Bart grunted and took his feet down. They sat in silence, until Maggie got up, preparing to spend another week locked up in her room.

"Maggie, stay," Bart said. "You're not making anyone feel better by sitting up in your room all day. Let alone yourself," he said and looked at her.

"I can decide what's good for me myself," Maggie said and started to leave.

"Maggie, it's not only you who feels bad!" Bart said. Maggie was shocked by the sudden anger in his voice. "There are other people in this house as well! People who have feelings. Like you."

"Bart-"

"Shut up!" Bart yelled. "It's like you're the only one who matters, that's what you think, right? You think mom never respects your feelings, isn't that true?"

"She doesn't," Maggie yelled back. "She doesn't, ok?"

"That is a lie, and you know it! Mom cares about you, she loves you more than anything, anything, she would die for you! All she talks about is you! You! You and your feelings!"

"Well-"

"Shut UP!" Bart yelled again. "Did you ever think of the fact that you are making all of us feel like crap? Lisa worries about you. She calls every single minute to make sure you're all right! I worry about you! I can't stand the fact that you sit up there all alone, cooped up in your room! And mom-" Maggie could see tears in Bart's eyes. He was struggling to keep his voice from cracking up. "Mom worries most of all. Why do you think she sits down here and cries all day?" Maggie was lost for words. She didn't want to hear anymore. "Maggie, look at me. Mom loves you. She already thinks it's her fault dad died. She doesn't need this." Maggie wanted to smack Bart for telling her this.

"You don't think I constantly think about this?" she said, finding it hard to speak. Her throat was getting thick, and her sight blurred by tears.

"So put and end to it!" Bart said. "Don't fight-"

"It's not that easy, Bart!"

"What's so hard about it?" Maggie didn't know what to answer. "Mom would forgive you like that-" he snapped his fingers "-if you would just find it in your heart to forgive her." Maggie looked down. Sobbing, she started to speak.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come home," she whispered.

"Maggie," Bart said. "Maggie, don't say that. You know we wanted you to come home." Maggie couldn't take this anymore. She started to cry uncontrollably. She leaned her head on Bart's shoulder, and he put his arms around her. They stood there, rocking back and forth for a while.

"I… want… my… daddy," she sobbed and could feel Bart's tears making her hair wet. "I want daddy!" she whispered again and cried even harder. For the first time since her father had died, Maggie cried.