If Daddy were with us, we wouldnât have been bullied, right?â
Tears welled up in Arianaâs eyes as she enveloped her son in a gentle embrace.
She understood that Melon was hurting, seeking the comfort and protection of his father in this time of need.
Ariana blamed herself for not being there for him the previous night.
If only she had been there, none of this wouldâve happened,
As she softly rubbed his back, Ariana was overcome by a mixture of sadness and guilt.
She couldnât provide him with the complete family he longed for.
The weight of her guilt threatened to crush her.
She had considered moving on with another man, all for Melonâs sake, But it was out of the question â she couldnât forget her beloved Theodore.
The idea of anyone else trying to replace him was unimaginable.
But how could she explain to a five-year-old that his father was gone forever?
So Ariana found herself resorting to telling gentle lies and half-truths.
âYour father loves you so much.
Iâm sure heâs thinking about you even now.
He wishes he could be here.
â
With each word of false reassurance, Arianaâs heart broke a little more.
But she didnât see any other option.
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To her dismay, Melon persisted with innocent questions that only deepened her sense of guilt.
âIf Daddy misses me, why doesnât he call sometimes?
My friendâs dad calls from his ship every week.
â
Melon surprised Ariana by catching on to that little gap in her story, and for a second, Ariana was lost for words.
But after a momentâs thought, she finally came up with something.
âDo you know of these military folks who have to do super tough, secret missions in really rough places?â
Melon wiped away his tears and shook his head.
âItâs all secret stuff.
Daddyâs one of those secret military guys, and during his missions, he canât call us.
Today, Mommy revealed this secret, and now youâre in on it too, okay?â Ariana softly spoke, wiggling her pinky finger in front of Melon.
âLetâs pinky promise.
â
Melon looked at her and asked, âWhenâs Daddy going to be able to call?â