As I wound through the treacherous roads leading to the old factory, my thoughts went straight back to the conversation with this illusive man. Who was he? For starters, he knew my name, and he knew Rose and I were at the fair. And on top of that, he took her right from my clutches. His words constantly rang in my head like a broken record.
"A man who truly loves his daughter."
"We'll talk later, Bruce. Have fun."
The thoughts kept eating away at me, consuming me word by word. I had to get to her. Fast. As I continued down the road, my train of thought trailed off to the events that happened leading up to this.
"Damn it… Why did I turn around?" I asked to no one in particular, not caring for an answer.
EARLIER THAT DAY
Today was the big day, at least in my daughter's eyes it was. I had promised to take her to the little fair they were holding at the local ice rink. So long as she behaved, that is. And, lord behold, I heard praise from all her teachers. Hell, she even went the extra mile and got straight A's. As if on cue, Rose walked into the room, bursting with happiness.
"I can't wait, Daddy! Today is going to be the best day ever! You'll see! You'll see!" She said, her words laced with sweetness and joy.
I couldn't help but laugh at her innocent demeanor. Now that I think about it, Rose was the stereotypical cutesy seven year old girl every dad imagines his daughter to be.
"I know, sweetie. Hurry up and get ready so we can go." I answered in a gentle tone.
"Okay! Is Mommy coming too?" She asked.
As those words left her lips, I couldn't help but think of my wife, Brittany. It had been a little over a year since she…passed away. And, unfortunately, Rose thinks her mom will come back one day.
"Not this time, Rose. Maybe next time." I told her.
"Oh…okay." She whispered faintly and scurried off to get her shoes.
A pang of guilt shot through me as memories of Brittany sprung into my head, crashing like a wave against the shore. As I shook off the memories, I headed towards the garage to start up the old Vette. It was an all-black '94 ZR-1 I got back when I joined the Air Force. That was a long time ago. Weird enough, the car had a name. Black Beauty is what Rose and Brittany loved to call it. Funny, I know, but I can't complain. The car had been with us through everything, even the bad times. With my eyes wandering the cabin of the car, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The car, in a way, reflected who I was: an old dog trying to adapt to a changing world. As fast as the feeling came, I was quickly brought back to reality when I felt a small tug on my jacket. I turned to find a pair of bright blue orbs staring into my dulled cerulean ones, a look of worry evident in them.
"Daddy?" She spoke with such softness, "Are you okay?"
I was so lost in thought that I hadn't realized Rose was in the car now. I quickly changed my persona and plastered a cheery smile on my face.
"Daddy's fine, sweetie. Don't you worry!" I chimed, hoping my goofy attitude would convince her.
"You're a bad liar." She rebuked, clearly no buying it.
"No, I'm fine. I really am!" I answered back though I knew full well she was right.
"Okay." She replied, concern still clear in her tone.
"So are you ready to go to the fair?" I asked with a warm smile plastering my face. I hoped this would cheer her up. And as fate would have it, it did. Rose simply grinned in response.
"You bet!" She yelped.
As those words escaped her mouth, I stuck the key in the ignition. With a simple turn of my wrist, the engine roared to life, rocking the entire car. Shifting the car into reverse, I backed the Vette out of the garage.
"I wish you were here, Brittany." I thought to myself, "Rose misses you. Maybe more so than me."
