Your mama will come home.. I swear it.

I swirled the dark liquid around in my glass, staring at the computer in front of me. I had searched as much as I could to figure out where Bianca and Julius had gone, but nothing showed up. I was at a loss. I had hired a private detective this morning but he wasn't working fast enough for me. I wanted Bianca, now. I wanted her here with her family. With me.

I had messed up before. Being so angry for so long that I didn't allow us to be a real family.. but now that I was over the anger, and we had our shot, she was still gone. God was surely laughing down at me. Teaching me for being a sinner, for being so sexually active in my prime, for my gambling ways, for all the late nights binges of drinking and weed. He was teaching me a lesson and instead of listening I was here with half a bottle of Whiskey gone and downing my next glass. I never fucking learned... I was a miserable bastard... and...

"Daddy?" I turned in my seat, my eyes brightening at the site of my little girl in her princess nightgown, her hair a tangled mess on top of her head as she rubbed at her eyes. "Yes, princess?" She moved slowly toward me, hesitant, eyeing the bottle of Whiskey next to my lap top. She was a smart girl. She was so mature, even in her immature sleeping wear. She knew what the bottle meant. She knew what my sadness looked like. She shouldn't, but Jesus Christ she did.

"Where's B... Mom?" She was still getting use to calling her mom but she was doing it even more now. Ever since the shooting. She was such an angel. Just like her mother. "I can't really explain that, baby doll." She crawled onto my lap, wrapping her arms loosely around my neck. "Why not? Did she... did she leave us... me again?" I shook my head, smoothing her hair back on her head. "Never, no. Someone took her. A very bad man. He took her from us. I promise I'll get her back and once and for all we'll be a real family, okay?"

She hugged my neck, her head resting on my chest. "Good, because I need to tell her I'm sorry." I kissed the top of her head, letting my lips rest there. She used the same shampoo as her mom and her hair smelled just like her. It made my heart throb. "For what?" I asked, pulling back a little to look at her. "For being a brat." I raised my eyebrow. "You aren't a brat!" Tammy nodded sadly. "I am, daddy. But I swear I'll make it up to her." I brushed a finger against her cheek, she had the face of her mother. Innocent, sweet, beautiful. She had my eyes... but she had her mother's face. Even her skin color.

"It's okay, princess. There's nothing to make up. Your mama will just be happy to see you again." She smiled. "Can I sleep with you daddy? I can't sleep by myself..." I nodded, turning my lap top off and picking her up in my arms. I carried her up to our bedroom and after brushing my teeth and changing into pajama's I crawled in bed with my baby girl and we both fell asleep missing her mama.