The next morning...
Lexi's POV
I turned Pandora on and started to make breakfast. I turned on the stove, placing the strips of bacon on the large metal pan. I took out the pancake batter and made some pancakes on the griddle. As I was about to feed Emma some of her cereal, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. When I woke up, no one else was awake except for Emma. Ethan appeared in the kitchen. He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I wrapped mine around his neck.
"Good morning beautiful..." He whispered.
"Daddy." Emma said, reaching her little hands out to Ethan. He let go of me and picked her up from her high chair.
"You're such a daddy's girl aren't you?" He said, holding her. I smiled.
Flashback
"You never let me do anything!" I yelled, tears coming down my face. I had my hand tightly gripped around the door handle.
"Because I want you to be a good kid and obviously you aren't that. What happened to you being a little daddy's girl??" My dad slurred, sitting at the end of my bed.
"I try to be good but you always come home drunk and you forget all the times I was good. It's like you don't want me to grow up and live like a normal kid!" I said, a lump growing in my throat. I opened the door and ran down the hallway and down the stairs, my backpack bouncing with every step I took.
"I'm going to Madelyn's house mom." I lied as I slipped out the front door. I walked along the sidewalk for about twenty minutes until I arrived at this park. There's this big maple tree on a hill that I always go to. I climbed the hill and sat down, leaning against the trunk of the tree. I took out my journal from my backpack and started writing.
August 11th, 2008
Dad came home drunk again. He said some pretty mean things, but that's not anything new. I'm 12 years old, almost 13 and he won't let me do anything that all my other friends do. He treats me like I'm 6 years old. Obviously I'm not a daddy's girl if he treats me like this. It's not fair. Mom doesn't know what happened tonight. I ran off. I told mom I was going to Madelyn's house but here I am at the tree. I'm sorry. I'll probably come back in a few hours. I wish I had someone to protect me... please send a prince charming to me.
-Lexi
I stayed at the park for a few hours before going home. It was still light out, probably around 6:00. I walked back home and went in through the front door. My mom was sitting in her chair, crying. The house was silent.
"Where's dad?" I asked, curious.
End of Flashback
"Lexi?" Ethan asked.
"What?" I looked at him.
"Are you...ok?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I smiled. I turned around to flip the pancakes and turn over the bacon.
"You just... nevermind." He shook his head.
"Morning guys." Sam said, as she walked into the kitchen smiling.
"Morning Sam." Ethan and I said. I put breakfast out on the table.
"Dig in." I smiled. Sam sat down. Ethan put Emma in her high chair and then sat down too. I went upstairs to see if Grayson was awake and if he was, tell him breakfast was ready.
Ethan's POV
"I'm sorry you heard everything last night, Sam." I said, sighing. She looked at me with a soft expression on her face.
