Chapter 1

It was a normal day for Mr. Hardy's kindergarten class. The entire class was sitting together on the "magical carpet" that looked as if someone had splattered 10 million different colors of paint on it. The children were beginning to grow impatient while waiting on their teacher to tell them what their big surprise was.

"Now class, does anyone know what today is?" Mr. Hardy asked his kindergarten class. "Thursday?" belted out an awkward red headed boy who had dirt all around his lips. "Yes, Adam it is Thursday," Mr. Hardy chuckled, "but what else is today?" The kindergarten class looked around the classroom with bright yellow walls as they waited for someone to tell Mr. Hardy what today was. "It is the day of our school ashembly," yelled Maria as the clung to what appeared be the remains of a teddy bear. "Assembly, Maria." Mr. Hardy replied. "That is what I said, UU-SSHH-EEM-BBLLEE." Maria said flatly before flashing him a toothless grin. Mr. Hardy just chuckled at her innocence. "Yes, you did, and today we will also have some special visitors that will take you to the school assembly." Mr. Hardy told the class. As if on cue, the excitement began. "Who is it?" "Where are they?" "Is it the president?" "I BET IT IS MADONNA."

Mr. Hardy couldn't help but smile that the excitement of his kindergarten class. He enjoyed having the opportunity to teach such wonderful kids and never failed to embrace their innocence.

"Today, your fathers are going to escort you to the school assembly as well as stay with you during it," he explained to the class. All the students cheered with joy except for one particular girl in the back. Mr. Hardy quickly noticed that how Stephanie shied away from her fellow classmates that were chatting away on the story hour mat. Mr. Hardy knew that Stephanie was a shy little girl who often played alone rather than with the others. However, he was positive that she would be extra excited for the school assembly today. He decided that he should pull her aside to ask her what was wrong.

"Stephanie, why are you not excited about your father coming to school with you?" Mr. Hardy asked taking note that she looked as if she was ready to cry.

"My daddy won't be here. He lives in the telephone." Stephanie blurted out. "Mr. Hardy, can I take your telephone with me so my daddy could come?" she asked with the upmost sincerity and hopefulness. "Stephanie, let's just wait and see if he shows up." He replied to her. Normally the sight of the little girl with curly blonde pig tails and bright blue eyes so sad would have tugged at his heart, but he knew Stephanie was in for a great surprise.

The rest of the day went as normal with the children excitedly chatting about when their fathers would arrive. "Hey. Hey. HEY AARON!" little Randy obnoxiously yelled, "My daddy is a CONDUCTOR!!!!" Aaron stared at him intently with beady black eyes "And that is?" he asked as if he was already bored with the conversation already. "It's. It's. THE GUY WHO DRIVES A CHOO-CHOO!!" Little Randy said continuously jumping up and down with delight and flashing Aaron a huge grin revealing two buck teeth. "Well, my daddy is a lawyer." Maria said interrupting Little Randy's fiasco. "What is that?" he asked her as he tried to arch one of his eye brows like he had seen his father do every time he would ask a question. "He fights people." Maria replied without missing a beat even though she was much more interested in picking the nonexistent lint off of her pink satin dress.

"My mommy says that my daddy fights for our country." Stephanie mumbled grasping all the students' attention. She had been listening to the conversation intently the entire time. "He is a Marine." She told her fellow students. "My mommy said that you probably didn't even have a daddy!" Maria said matter-of-factly. "HE GOES UNDER WATER?" Little Randy yelled out interrupting Maria's attempt to make Stephanie feel bad.

Mr. Hardy couldn't help, but overhear the conversation and chuckle to his self. "No Randy that is a submarine. Her daddy is a soldier." Mr. Hardy explained to him.

As if on cue, the classroom door burst open and in flooded the kindergarteners' fathers. One by one the children ran into the arms of their dads and began telling them about their day at school so far. Stephanie sunk to the back. She knew her daddy wouldn't be able to come. Mr. Hardy smiled a halfhearted smile and took her hand as he followed the fathers and students to the gymnasium for the assembly to begin.

Stephanie stopped dead in her tracks as she heard the applause when she entered into the gymnasium and seen her father standing in the middle of the room in full uniform holding a bouquet of red roses.

She didn't notice that Mr. Hardy had now released her hand and was standing in the middle of the gymnasium by her father.

Mr. Hardy looked over to see his student with little blond pigtails begin to tear up in her bright blue eyes as she ran into her father's arms for the first time in 7 months.

Mr. Hardy began to speak to the audience that now had witnessed a heart touching scene. "Ladies and Gentleman, thank you for coming." He yelled out as the audience continued to focus on Stephanie being spun around in the arms of her father. "This assembly has been put together for our awards day however, Stephanie's father called to tell me that he had wanted to surprise Stephanie because she did not know he was coming home." He continued to say. "Stephanie's father, Master Gunnery Sergeant Johnson, has been deployed for the last 7 months and wanted to surprise his daughter. Therefore, before we begin our program, we would like him to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance." Mr. Hardy handed his microphone over to Stephanie's father; however before he could receive it, Stephanie yanked it out of his hands and belted into it for the entire gymnasium to hear "SEE MARIA, I DO HAVE A DADDY." The entire audience could not help but laugh at her innocence. "I love you, daddy!" Stephanie said into the microphone before she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Beep, Beep, Beep "UGH" Stephanie thought as she attempted to stop the blaring that was coming from the alarm clock. She already knew that this was going to be a bad day considering she had already had that stupid dream again. It occurred at least once a week; however it was more of a memory than a dream. It was the last memory she had of her father really, because not soon after that he ran out on her and her mother. Leaving them to fend for themselves. Actually it was more of leaving Stephanie to fend for herself, considering her mother couldn't even take care of herself, let alone support a child.

Stephanie stretched her arms outward as she climbed out of the bed. She couldn't decide whether or not she should go to school today. It wasn't like anyone cared. Her mother was either passed out from a night of partying or still laying up under some random guy she picked up at a bar. It was at that moment she heard her bedroom window being pried open. "Oh my god. Oh my god." Stephanie screamed as she ran frantically to the bathroom where she locked herself in. "Who is breaking into my house?" "What do they want?" "Are they going to kill me?" These questions continued to run through her mind as she looked for a place to hide.

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