5 Years Old
"Ben? Sweet heart? Come on, wake up." My mom pet my hair lightly. I was laying down in my bed with my head turned to the wall. I had been crying uncontrollably. My eyes burned and I could hardly breathe. I looked at my mom with blood shot eyes.
"Honey, what's wrong?" She ask concerned. I sat up and looked up at her.
"I heard you and daddy talking in the kitchen." I said, about to start crying once again. She looked horrified.
"What did you hear?" She asked.
"Daddy is going back with the army to Iquack."
"Iraq." She corrected. "And yes... he is going back to Iraq. We we're going to tell you today but you already found out..." Her eyes starting to water up.
"Don't cwy mommy." I hugged her tight. She hugged back even tighter and cried into my shoulder.
"Michelle? Ben? what's wrong?" My dad walked in carrying my new born sister, Emma. "Why are you two crying?" Mom looked at him.
"He heard our conversation in the kitchen this morning." My mom said with a weak voice. I saw my dad's reaction to the in the mirror. He looked down and then looked at my mom and I.
"Ben?" My dad ask has he sat down. I'm 're-"
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GO? IT ISN'T FAIR. YOU CAN'T GO. YOU CAN'T LEAVE." I screamed at the top of my lungs. My dad got pale, as did my mom.
"I have to Ben. I'll be back. I promise."
"You can't go...Emma was just born. you can't leave her.... You can't leave me..." I said looking down about to cry again. that's when my dad broke. I've never seen him cry and I didn't want to so I kept my head down.
"I promise, I'll be back in a few years. I promise, Ben."
