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spite of her promise earlier that morning that she wouldn't mention it, Alex couldn't help but to overhear bits and pieces of conversation happening near his dorm. He was still unsure whether or not it was worth his while trying to investigate what was going on, but the thought occurred to him that it might actually serve him some useful purpose since it would allow him to spend at least half of his time with the person he secretly loved without feeling guilty about it and allowing him to get away with ignoring his responsibilities to his family. He decided that curiosity was going to kill him and slipped out of his room without making any noise. As soon as he was outside, he took a deep breath. Although he couldn't hear the exact details of the conversation taking place behind the door, one thing was clear. The two men seemed to be discussing whether or not it was too dangerous to let a child travel with them when she obviously had so many questions. A child. Alex shuddered involuntarily, not knowing quite how to react. The child in question certainly did seem young, but he had assumed that she must be a minor. From the sounds of things, however, it appeared that she was well over ten years old.

Deciding that it couldn't hurt to listen closer, he crept slowly down the stairs, his ears perked up

towards the voices coming from where they were standing.

"Look at me. Don't look into her eyes, just look into mine. I don't want you to start screaming or crying. I don't want them to hear you. We will only go as far as we can safely travel and once we reach our destination it will be completely fine."

"Okay daddy, I'll try. I guess you're right though. They can't hear anything anyway."

"I suppose not, but they might hear you if you scream. Now, you have to be quiet. If they see that you're scared then they'll take it badly. I don't want anyone to get hurt. Do you understand?"

"Yes Daddy. I'm sorry if I frightened you. It won't happen again." The little girl whispered.

"That's okay baby. Now hold still and keep your eyes open. You can watch the world pass by if you keep them open." He continued softly, running a hand through her short dark brown locks, which were tumbling loosely down her shoulders as she stood next to him.

Alex could see why the father chose to travel this far North rather

than the warmer climates of California. He was a good guy, and he must be good looking; it was hard not to notice the obvious love that was radiating off of him. Alex's heart clenched as he realized that it was his daughter who he had fallen in love with and she was also a girl. The pain in his chest intensified and he felt sick to his stomach. He tried to force it out of his mind as quickly as possible. When the woman spoke again, he froze.

"Daddy, do you love mommy anymore?"

It was silent for several seconds before the man responded. "What makes you ask that sweetheart?"

"Well, it doesn't really matter because she left you. I know that you miss her. You've never said anything to her though. And after all these years I'd thought that you would eventually get over her. Mommy left you because you were too good for her and it made her sad that she wouldn't be good enough. But you're happy, aren't you Daddy?"

There was another long stretch of silence before the man finally answered. He spoke in a soft and comforting tone. "Yes, baby, I am happy." He sighed. He paused for a moment and then

added. "You're right, I am sad. I think I should probably move on. You and I both know how busy my job is with all of the extra security we've hired. And I'm getting older too, and it would be great to spend more time with you. So…you're right. I need to put your mother out of my mind. She made her choice. You make yours, too."

Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man, who he considered the love of his life, had given up on her. He was saying goodbye forever. For the first time he realized how much he had hoped that their story had been different. That maybe she had returned for a reason and that he had simply been the means to get her here. He hated himself for hoping for that and for not understanding what was really happening to her. All he knew for certain was that he didn't deserve to be with her, nor did he deserve to stay by her side for as long as he had to. If he truly loved her, then why couldn't he stop thinking about her every day? Every time his eyes would drift towards her, his heart would break and it hurt. It was impossible for him to imagine ever being with anyone else and yet here she was leaving