Raine's POV I had done as Daddy had said. I went out to the local park all by myself. It was scary... but I was fine. When I got there, there were only a few people... A girl with black hair and blue eyes sat on a swing next to a boy with light hair and blue eyes as well. When they saw me they came over to me. "Hihi!" chirped the girl. "My name is Sammi!" she said and she grinned at me. She wore fancy clothes and I smiled back at her. "I'm Kris," said the boy. He didn't say anything else and he looked away. "Haha. Don't mind him, he's just a meanie!" she laughed. "Come swing with us!" I smiled wider and followed her to the swing set. After an hour or so, Sammi and Kris parents told them it was time to go. "Let's meet again tomorrow!" said Sammi. I nodded and she grinned. "See you," was all Kris said and he followed behind Sammi. They left and I was alone... It was already evening... it was getting darker out but I didn't want to go home. Not now. "I wonder if Daddy's worries about me..." I said quietly. I got up to leave but when I did I tripped and fell to the ground roughly. My knee was scraped badly to the point of bleeding and I cried out in pain. "Hey! Are you okay?" I looked up to see an older boy, ten or so. He got off his bike and rushed to me. He tore a piece of his shirt off and bandaged the wound. How... mature. He had light brown hair like Daddy's and dark eyes. He had a boyish face and tanned skin. "Your name is...?" "I-I'm Raine!" I said. "I'm six!" He laughed and stood up. He offered me his hand and he smiled at me. "I'm Robin, I'm turning twelve years old soon!" I smiled back. "Thank you," I said. "No problem. I hope we meet again some day, you're a real cutie!" he said. With that, he mounted his bike again and rode off. I watched him go. After he was out of sight I sighed and went back home... Somehow I knew in my heart that Daddy wouldn't have even noticed that I was gone... it made me sad just thinking of it.
3 years later... "Daddy... The school is having a parent-teacher conference. It's a thing where they talk to the parents about their child's progress." "I can't go. Get your grandmother to go," I said. "I'm too busy with work." "But they want the parents." "Raine. I just said I couldn't make it. Stop pestering me because it won't do you any good," I said rather harshly. Her face made me sigh. Damn it... "Fine... I'll ask grandma..." she said and she quickly left the room. I sighed again. She was now nine years old... but my feelings toward her still hadn't changed. I still felt both anger and sorrow whenever I was near her. I guess I really just didn't want to be hurt anymore than I already am. "Raine! Get down here! I'll go," I called up to her room. She peeked her head around the corner and smiled. "Really?! You'll come?!" she asked happily. "Yes. If I have to. I don't want the school to think of me as a terrible father." She didn't reply and I looked away from her. Her silence made it awkward for me to say anything else. I frowned and went back to the kitchen. During dinner I looked at Raine. She seemed happier these days. I wondered what it was. "Raine. You seem happier lately." "Oh? Well yes... I've made a few friends... They are nice." "Their names?" "Sammi, Kris and Becca..." she responded quietly. "I met them a while ago... well three years. I met Kris and Sammi when I was six and I met Becca last year. It's really nice being with them." "Is that so? Then why don't you ever have them over?" "Wh-what? You'd allow me to have friends over?" she asked. The way she asked this irritated me. It was if she thought I wouldn't agree with anything... like she actually thought I'd say 'no'. "Yeah. Did you think I'd say no?" She didn't reply. "I see. Well I don't care. If you want them over then that's fine. I have no problem with it." I looked over at her and she was smiling gently. She looked at me and grinned. The sudden grin made me look away. My heart felt warmed by that smile... It almost made me want to see her smile more often...