Broken Descent (Bruno Mars)

Promises Kept

Bruno took care of things around the house before going to bed. He got Charlotte's lunch together into her matching Beauty and the Beast lunch box that came with her backpack. Its small handle served as a reminder that Charlotte was still young and there he was, sending her off into a big world. Smiling on his way to his bedroom, he stopped by her room to see a blue shade of the night sky reflecting on her little sleeping face.

Later on, in the early morning hours, Bruno heard his door squeak open.

"Char?" he asked, flipping on the light.

He smiled at her, standing before him in her new dress. Charlotte spun around twice, revealing a white bow she'd put in her hair.

"Oh Charlotte...sweetheart... you look so pretty."

"Thank you Daddy," she said, running into his arms.

Bruno held some ends of her hair in his hand and peeked to the back to see the bow. "You did your hair like this all by yourself?"

Charlotte nodded, with so much pride.

Bruno kissed her and glanced at the clock radio on his nightstand. It was four o'clock in the morning.

"Charlotte I'm glad you're excited but school doesn't start for a couple more hours."

Charlotte shrugged. Bruno shrugged back and then patted his bedside so they could catch more sleep before starting the big day. Waking up before her the next morning, he kissed her forehead lightly and proceeded to the kitchen.

The low-light of the early morning sun graced her face as she stepped into the kitchen moments later, rubbing her eyes. Placing two bowls of Lucky Charms on the table, he picked his head up and smiled the second he saw her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Come sit down and have some breakfast," he said, taking a seat.

Charlotte let out a little yawn, sitting down across from her dad. She immediately started with the marshmallows as usual. Instead of engaging her in conversation, he continued to eat. He enjoyed the silence, glancing up every once in a while to look at her.

Bruno finished before her, setting his spoon down. He folded his arms and rested them on the table. She played around with her cereal a bit more than usual, playing more than eating.

"It's okay to be nervous, peanut."

"I'm not nervous..." she said quietly.

"Charlotte, all the other kids in the class are going to be nervous too. There's nothing to worry about."

She finished up and smiled.

Bruno cleared the table. The time was passing quickly, and Charlotte knew it. When he turned around from the sink, he noticed a drastic change in her demeanor again.

"Hey, hey," he said softly, approaching her, massaging her arm gently. "You're okay...I promise that you're going to be okay today."

"I don't know about school anymore Daddy..." she muttered.

"Remember when I taught you about trust?"

Bruno had told her many times about trust. It had to be rebuilt after she'd been kidnapped. Charlotte nodded with a bit more of confidence.

"And what did I tell you about trust?" Bruno winked.

Charlotte smiled. "I can trust people who always tell the truth."

Bruno nodded. "And why do you trust me?"

"Because you always tell the truth," she smiled.

"Yes...and..." Bruno said, taking both of her hands, "because when I make a promise that you'll be okay...and that you'll be safe...when I say I promise...you know it's the truth, right?"