Heather had carried A screaming and crying Gracie into the room where they spent the rest of their day. Gracie had screamed like wild the first few minutes before subsiding into crying and Heather held her for most of the day. They watched cartoons and Gracie sat curled up in her arms. She cried most of the day but once and awhile the cartoons would get a small giggle and she would momentarily be distracted.

By eight at night she had worn herself out from crying and she had Heather exhausted as well. She loved Grace and she knew how hard it had to be for her to wait her whole life to meet her father only to have him run out on her the first chance he got. She was angry for awhile but after a few hours she began begging Heather to go get him and to bring him back.

Knowing there was nothing that would soothe or calm her she simply held her and talked to her. She made sure she got a special dinner delivered and a hot bath and while Gracie was quiet and sniffled now and then she had finally passed out on the bed. Heather tucked her in before collapsing into the chair.

A part of her had secretly hoped he'd change his mind and come back to them but as ten o'clock at night rolled around she realized he hadn't and when he didn't bother to call she felt even more defeated. So she found the stregnth to get a shower and clean up what was left of their meal. This pushed her into midnight.

She crawled into the bed beside Gracie and felt the tears build. He seriously wasn't coming back and her heart broke not only for Gracie but for herself. She just couldn't stop hanging on to him and she didn't know why.

She chocked a little but tried to hold it in and not wake up Grace but it wasn't long before the tiny little hand touched her shoulder.

"Mommy...don't cry...please..." Heather rolled over and saw Gracie giving her a tiny smile and she couldn't not smile back.

"Come here" She opened her arms and Gracie hugged her close.

"I love you...you know that?" She asked and Gracie nodded.

"I want Daddy"Gracie mumbled into her shoulder.

Heather wiped her eyes with one hand before stroking Gracie's hair.

"I know sweetie...I do too"

"Let's go get him mommy...please?" Heather tried to take a deep breath but it was weak and she shook her head.

"No, we can't baby...We'll just wait here...alright?" Gracie nodded.

"Is he going to come get us?"

"I hope so...sweetie...I know He'll try...he loves you very much Gracie"

"Why didn't he want me?" Gracie asked and Heather sighed she knew this was going to come up one day but she never really prepared for it.

"He didn't know about you baby...by the time Mommy realized you were on the way her and Daddy weren't getting along very well...and Mommy was a chicken she did the wrong thing and she didn't tell Daddy about you until a few days ago"

Gracie sniffed and seemed to accept that answer because she relaxed a little and Heather knew what she had to do. She had to go get Burt because Grace needed to know her father and she wasn't willing to let her lose her father now. Everything she did up until this point had been what she hoped was best for Gracie and now she knew for sure what was.