Broken Descent (Bruno Mars)

Who am I?

By December of that year, the touring had finished for a couple of weeks. Extremely stressed out by everything, Bruno was concerned about the upcoming shows in his schedule. He was especially worried about his daughter. Every milestone Charlotte developed, he got worried about what would come next.

"Shouldn't she be talking by now...saying something?" Bruno questioned to Bernie.

"Not quite. Kids develop at all different speeds. Give her some more time."

"What if I'm doing something wrong and she's not developing right?"

"That's not it, honey," she replied. "You're a pro. Charlotte's fine. She's just starting to walk well. The talking will come later. It might be part of her personality, you know? You started talking when you were her age, but Charlotte's different."

"She's been acting different though, lately. Whenever I leave the room, she freaks out. I'm so nervous for next month."

"That's just part of her development, Bruno. She's starting to understand how important you are, that's all it is. When you leave she gets sad. It's a good thing, Bruno. It's good that she misses you when you're gone. She knows that she can trust you."

Charlotte was going to stay with Bernie in Hawaii during the South American tour. It was a short leg and Bernie was able to convince him that she should watch her. They were all staying with her in Hawaii before the tour.

"Bruno you need a break."

"A couple of weeks is a long time, though. I took her to Europe with me and..."

"I've barely seen her this year. Let me spend time with my grandaughter. You'll be home before you know it..."

They were interrupted by Charlotte's laughter in the other room.

"She's going to be so upset," Bruno pouted.

"She'll be fine."

"What if she forgets about me? What if I miss something big and I have to watch it happen on Facetime like some loser."

"If she forgets about you?" Bernie smiled.

"Alright maybe I'm overreacting..."

"No, you're just being a good daddy," Bernie said, giving him a hug. "I know it can be scary sometimes."

"It's the best though," he smirked. "It really, really is."

In the weeks leading up to the day Bruno and the Hooligans would leave, Charlotte picked up on all the cues that something was up. She looked at the suitcases laid out in his room and watched him as he moved quickly throughout the house, getting everything together. The night before he left, his brain was so scattered that he didn't realize that Charlotte had been staring at him for quite a while. She knew something was up. She was now at the age where she noticed routines and changes.

On the inside, Bruno was crushed that it would be the last night he'd be watching her fall asleep for a while. It surprised him how much his emotions came over him, and what came next sent him over the edge.

"D....da..." she stuttered.

Bruno, very slowly, turned around with his jaw open.

"Da...dada..."

"Char....Charlotte..." Bruno whispered as he reached his hand out. "Did you just..."

"Dada," she giggled.

"Yes!" Bruno exclaimed, throwing both hands up in the air.

Seeing his reaction made her laugh a little to herself. She continued to laugh as Bruno stood up and picked her up, holding her close. He kissed her face a thousand times, supported her head with his hand, and dipped her down a little bit, nuzzling and kissing her neck a little. She squealed. When he brought her upright again, she pulled herself even closer into him.

"Da.." Charlotte began to say again.

"Daddy," Bruno smiled.

"Da..." Charlotte said again.

"Daddy," Bruno repeated.

"Dad...dy!" Charlotte said loudly.

"What goin' on in here?" Eric said.

"Daddy!" Charlotte exclaimed even louder than before.

"Aww..." Eric said, brushing his finger against her cheek. "Congratulations, Bruno. I guess this is her going away gift to you."

"This is going to be a gift every time she says it. Oh man..." Bruno grinned ear to ear.

Eric nodded in agreement. Charlotte patiently stood near Bruno as he finally finished packing. He spent an especially long time getting her ready for bed, wanting to make the night last as long as possible. Turning on the bathtub faucet, Bruno started helping her get undressed. He began to remember the days, just a few months before, when he was so nervous. He was afraid that he was going to break her. Everything was beginning to feel so natural.

Bruno cleaned Charlotte up and let her play in a tub full of bubbles. She was laughing so much that Bernie and Eric heard it from the other end of the house. Charlotte started to close her eyes faster than Bruno expected, as soon as he set her in her crib.

"I'm gonna miss you, Charlotte."

"Daddy," she whispered softly in her last moments of consciousness.

"Night night, little peanut."

As hard was it was to say good night, it was even harder for the two of them to say goodbye the next morning. The moment he set his suitcase by the front door, Charlotte grabbed his finger with one hand. Bernie tried to pick her up, but she fought her off, setting Charlotte into a panic. He and Eric were minutes away from leaving for the airport; their car was waiting outside for them.

Bruno picked her up and headed down the main hallway to the bedroom they'd been staying in.

"Where are you going?" Eric asked. "We need to leave soon."

"Give me about three minutes."

Eric scratched his head a little, before catching a glimpse of a tear streaming down Charlotte's face as she slumped over Bruno's shoulder. She knew exactly what was going on. Bruno gently rubbed her back, trying to get her to calm down.

He began to sing "Count on Me," quietly into her ear, singing a little slower than usual, wanting to make it last.

"Da..." she choked a little. "Dada."

"Shh..." he whispered into her ear in the middle of singing.

Charlotte had settled and calmed herself by his last word.

"You can count on me 'cause I can count on you..."

"Bruno!" Eric called from the other room. "We really need to go!"

"Comin'," Bruno replied, making his way back to the front of the house.

"The faster you leave, the easier it'll be for the both of you."

"I know," Bruno pouted, giving Charlotte to Bernie. Charlotte's hand lingered on his and wouldn't let go as he stepped away.

"Bye sweetheart," Bruno said, holding her head gently with both hands, before giving her a goodbye kiss. "I love you."

Before he could see the devastation on her face, he was off with Eric to go and tour. It was a long couple of weeks, but Eric was right. Bruno got into the groove of the tour. Before he knew it, he was counting down the final days until he could bring her back home and hear his new favorite word, "Daddy."