Olivia and Emily heard nothing from Cassidy for about 2 months. Olivia and Emily's bond grew stronger each day. Olivia was a mom again and
it was the best feeling in the world. Emily was doing great in school and made a lot of new friends she was happy for the first time in a long
time.
Emily was at softball practice and got hit in the face by a line drive she was taken to the hospital where they tried to reach Olivia but couldn't
so they called Emily's other emergency contact. "Hello." A deep voice answered. "Hello. Is this Mr. Cassidy." The nurse asks. "Yes it is." Cassidy
said back. "This is Nurse Cindy down at Mercy hospital your daughter was brought in from softball practice. She was injured and we can't reach
her mother. We need you to come down here please." She says. Cassidy thought for a bit and reluctantly said be right there. He attempted to
call Olivia multiple times on the way to the hospital but there was no answer.
When he arrived Emily was asleep it was about 3:30p.m. He sat there staring at her for about 10 minutes until the doctor came in to check
and make sure her pain meds were working. The doctor explained to him that the ball broke open her cheek and almost broke her jaw. She
would be released as soon as she woke up because they gave her a sedative to put the stitches in her face. Cassidy nodded and thanked the
doctor. The doctor left and Cassidy continued to stare at his daughter analyzing every feature on her face. He thought about the time she had
to have stiches in her chin. She had just turned two and decided that she was going to be like daddy and shave her face. She cut her chin
wide open and when he found her in the bathroom covered in blood he applied pressure and the bleeding stopped but then she slipped in the
kitchen and bounced her chin off of the kitchen floor and cracked it wide open. To this day he still has no idea how she got his razor. He walked
over to her bed side and lifted her chin he saw the tiny scar on her chin and new right away that was his daughter he wasn't going to deny it
any longer but he was going to try to fix it. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but he also knew he had to.
Emily woke up shortly after her father returned from getting coffee. "What are you doing here? Where's mom?" she asked still a little groggy.
"Hey they called me because they couldn't reach your mom and they are going to release you soon so I can take you home." He says very
nervously. "Ok but as long as you promise me something." She says with a little grin. "And what might that be?" He asks. "Will you get me a
chocolate milkshake?" She says. "Sure I know the perfect place." Cassidy says with a giggle.
The doctor discharged her around 5 and Cassidy kept his promise they drove for about 20 minutes to an ice cream parlor that he had taken
her to for ice cream multiple times before she was taken. They ordered and sat at the table they always did when she was little. It was quiet
and awkward for a while. "You know something I remember you. You're the only person I do I try hard to remember mom but all I remember is
you. I remember I was laying in bed and you read me goodnight moon and after you finished you asked me if I wanted to be tucked in I said
yeah. You tucked me in kissed me on the head and said goodnight Luna." She said sipping her shake. "You made me read goodnight moon e
very night before bed no exceptions if I was at work you would wait till I got home and your mom always got mad at me for that because you
would be grumpy the next morning. I called you Luna the night before you went missing in the park. Don't tell anybody I told you this but that
day changed my entire life I became different, meaner, me and your mom didn't see each other anymore it was too painful." Cassidy told his
daughter. "Dad I'm back. I'm your daughter and I know it's hard to take in and I know it seems strange but I'm right here and I'm not going
anywhere anytime soon." Emily says tearing up. Cassidy stood up and hugged his daughter tightly. "What do you say we get out of here?"
Cassidy asked kissing the top of Emily's head. Emily shook her head and they walked out the door to the car.
They went back to Olivia's apartment and they sat down and looked through the box of pictures Emily had from her childhood that the lady
taken of her. There where tons of them her 3rd birthday, her first dance, her first day of school all the pictures where labeled and organized.
Emily was having so much fun her dad it didn't even seem they had ever been apart. They liked many of the same things and had many of the
same features. Emily knew her mother was not happy with Cassidy at all but she was having way too much fun to even worry about it.
Emily took her medicine at 8 ish and was passed out by 8:30 but before she fell asleep Cassidy sat in the bedroom with her and they talked.
"Daddy can you tuck me in please." Emily said barely awake. "Of course I will." Cassidy said with a big smile. He shut the light off and closed
the door before he sat down to look at more pictures. He knew Olivia was mad too but he wasn't leaving alone ever again and he was ready
face the consequences of denying her in the first place.