“Krissy, what’s Daddy doing?” Shaylee asked to her older sister, perched
Krissy’s face crumpled a little but she tried to maintain a happy façade. “Daddy is just gone out to have some fun with the rest of his friends, Shay-Shay.” Krissy smiled, ruffling her baby sister's hair. The girls' father was out drinking his life away, and the fun he was having was likely poker night at some smoky strip club. His friends would be random sketchy strangers or maybe a bottle of Merlot.
“Oh,” the younger girl sighed, wanting her Daddy to come home. “When will Mommy be back?” the little girl squeeked, allowing hope to accent her meek voice.
Krissy deflated, just like that. Her sister asked this question often, and it never stopped causing pain. Krissy tried to answer reassuringly, but it was a sensitive subject to talk about. “Shay, you know where Mommy is, don’t you remember?”
“Well I know you told me, but I don’t remember the words. All my friends have mommies, so where’s ours?” the girl asked.
Sighing, Krissy said, “Mommy is on a very long vacation and she can’t come back to us right now, or ever…”
“But why?” Shaylee screeched, tossing the dolls she was playing with carelessly in the air causing them to lay with a thud against the back wall. “Why is she gone? Why can’t I have a mommy? Shaylee collapsed into tears on the floor, and Krissy rushed forward to wrap her arms protectively around her. This routine repeatedly regularly, and would continue until she was able to explain that Mommy would not be back ever, because she was dead. Because their father had killed her.