Twenty-three years ago
Willy layed in his bed, it was still early morning and he had a long night at work the day before. He breathed softly as he slumbered away all the drainage from working. The sun was barely up over the horizon, casting its warm orange glow over the city. It was a perfect morning to sleep in.
That was until he felt a light tapping on his face. He snorted in his sleep and moved his head slightly. There was a little moment of silence before he was tapped again, right on his cheek. He moved his face back slightly from the touch.
He opened one icy blue eye and smiled happily as he looked at the culprit. Rosie, his three-year-old daughter gave him an all little teeth smile. Making her chubby little cheeks puff out even more. her icy blue eyes that she inherited from her father shined brighter than the sun outside.
" Dada time fo beakfest!" She gaggled out loudly and excitedly. He blinked sleepily at her in response. Reaching an arm out and capturing her in his arm and pulling her close and under the covers, as she squealed and squirmed.
" I don't know... How about we sleep in just a little more huh?" He smiled at her continuous attempts to rid herself of the blankets and arm keeping her down.
He chuckled at her and planted a kiss on her head. Laying his head back down on the pillow. She continued to poke him in the face as he pretended to fall back asleep. He flinched when she grabbed at his ear and shouted with all her little three-year-old might.
" DADA! TIME FO BEAKFAST!!" He grabbed her under the arms and hoisted her up so that she was standing on her little legs. He rubbed at his ringing ear as he smiled up at her. Opening his eyes wide as his brain took a second longer to process everything.
" Ok ok sweetie I'm getting up! Go tell your mother I'll be out when I get dressed." He said to her. She jumped off off the bed and waddled out of the room. Her little shoes clacking against the hardwood floor.
Willy watched his daughter leave while rubbing his ear tenderly. He sighed, pushing his fatigue away and pushing himself up from his position on the bed, moving sluggishly over to his dresser.
He opened it and searched for his white dress shirts and his grey vest. With a pair of black pants and a black tie, it should all come together nicely.
He threw his clothed for the day on, taking a moment to groom his shoulder-length black hair back. He stepped out of his room and down the hall, entering the kitchen and seeing Rosie on the floor right next to the table as she played with some of her dolls.
Looking into the lining room beyond, he saw his wife Amelia asleep on the couch, still dressed from a night out with her friends last night. She looked like she had came in way after late and just crashed on the couch. He frowned, she always just crashed on the couch as of late.
He rolled up his sleeves as he glanced back down at Rosie. She was currently in a tea party scene with her dolls Marie Antoinette and her little sister.
" Rosie honey what would you like for breakfast?" Willy asked. The little girl folded her arms and huffed her face away from her father's direction.
" No dada! I'm not Rosie! I am Mrs. Nesbitt!" She insisted. He playfully rolled his eyes.
" Alright well, what does Mrs. Nesbitt want for breakfast?" He asked, pulling some pots and pans out from the cupboards. Being careful as to not wake Amelia up.
" Pancakes Pancakes!" The little girl cheered and Willy quickly shushed her with a finger up to his smiling lips. She copied his movement and his smile. Returning to her tea party as he got everything he needed to make some pancakes and eggs.
During this, he heard his wife get up and go into the bathroom. Probably to wash all of the makeup she left on from the night before. She was not back out until after he had Rosie in her little seat and with her breakfast out in front of her.
He heard the fast clicking of her heels as she made her way across the lining room and towards the front door. He quickly bolted into the next room right as she was about to open the door.
" Whoa whoa whoa, where are you going?" He asked and she turned around. She was in another party outfit with just as much makeup. Her short black hair combed neatly.
" Out with the girls." Was her only and quick response before she went for the door handle again. Willy jumped in once more.
" Wait hold on, you went out with the girls last night, and it's not even noon yet! Come have some breakfast." He insisted, but she only shook her head, saying she would eat in town. Willy sprung forward before she was completely out of the door though.
" Hold on we promised Rosie we would take her to the park for lunch today." He reminded her, a tad bit appalled. She turned her green eyes toward him with a withering glare.
" Wilson I already promised that I would meet my friends in town. You take her to the park and I will see you guys tonight alright?" She hissed and then closed the door in his face.
He stood there, staring at the door for a long couple of minutes after she was gone. Not really knowing how to feel or what to think. He only diverted his attention when he heard his daughter's voice from the kitchen.
" Who's Wison?" She shouted over to him. He turned from the door and walked back into the kitchen. She had syrup all or her chubby face and he grabbed a rag and wet it. Dabbing at her cheeks.
" That's my name honey." He informed her and she tilted her neck in confusion.
" Your name is not Dada?" She said in confusion and he chuckled as he shook his head. A pout sprung to her face and she puffed her bottom lip out.
" I don't like it! You should be Willy instead!" He laughed at her response. Throwing his head back and actually having to wipe a tear from his eyes.
" Alright, I will tell everyone I know that I go by Willy now. I like that better than boring old Wilson anyway. Now go get dressed, I promised I would take you to the park." Her eyes widened and she cheered happily. Jumping down from her seat and booking it to her room.
He turned one last frown at the door, looking at it solemnly before turning to go find his shoes.
- -
He sat on a bench at the park as he watched Rosie play around with the other little kids on the playground. She would often look his way and wave a small little hand.
He would wave his back and smile as she played tag and hide and seek with the other kids. He specifically told her to not go anywhere near the monkey bars.
She was still too young and too small to be playing around those. She could get really hurt and he did not want that to happen in the slightest.
But with her being a three-year-old she was more than likely to ignore that rule or forget it entirely. So he continued to keep a watchful eye on her throughout the play day.
There were some times she ran over to him. Urging him up and wanting him to climb the playhouses with her. he could not do that since he was too big, but he did walk around the outside as she made her way through the colorful plastic containers.
He was back on the bench and thinking of taking her to get some ice cream when a shadow obscured the sun, he looked to the side, seeing Emily, one of Amelia's friends stop next to the bench as her husband took over pushing their baby stroller.
He smiled at her in surprise and greeting as she took a seat next to him. Greeting him as well and then asking how his day was. He asked how hers was and it went on in parent chat for awhile. That is until...
" So how was the lunch party?" He asked, and she furrowed her brow in confusion.
" What lunch party?" She asked.
" The one that Amelia went to with you guys. You all must be having a lot of fun having a party the night before and another one at lunch." He stated, hoping that he was wrong with the sinking feeling in his gut.
" Wilson... we never went to a party last night. Sarah and I let out kids have a playdate and that was it." She said. There it was, the drop in his stomach he was hoping to avoid. That meant that for some reason Amelia was lying to him. He turned to look back at the park but before he could Emilie's guilty sigh caught him off guard.
" Wilson please forgive me for this. I told Amelia that I would never tell but... She's been seeing another man." She told him. His heart shattered.
Another... man... but.... but why. His eyes slowly lowered to the ground as his mind took in what she just said. That would explain why she had been so distant with him as of late. But why... why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why?
He did not even realize that he was crying. Not a few teardrops, in under a second his face was drenched with salty tears that dripped down onto the bench.
" Wison... Oh God Wilson I'm so sorry." She said with sadness. No... He did not need that right now. If she truly was then she would have told him the moment she had found out about this affair. He pushed up from the bench, wiping at his face with his sleeve.
" Rosie! come on we're going home!" He shouted to the playground, looking over and finding that she was absolutely nowhere in sight.
His eyes widened and he frantically searched the playground, calling out her name once again. She did not respond... She always responded. Maybe she just did not hear him?
He stepped closer, calling out to her once more. The other kids were looking at him, she would have had to have heard him by now.
His heart was pounding by now and his blue eyes scanned everywhere as fear started taking hold of every fiber in his being. He flung back around to Emily.
" Did you see where she went?!" He cried. Her eyes were wide and fearful as well as she shook her head. He snapped his head back up and immediately started shouting out for her as loud as she could
He heard Emily get up from the bench as well as his calling got more and more frantic. He searched the whole length of the park, become more and more terrified with each passing moment... she was gone!
He had taken his eyes off of her for only a single moment!! How far could she have gone?! She was only three years old she could not have gone anywhere!
He heard Emily on the phone behind him as she called the police, By now there was a whole crowd of parents gathered around and holding their children close. The police arrived shortly but... They did not find her either. She was not found until two days later. Her decomposing body in a ditch.