The Mom stormed upstairs and collected Faith in her arms. “We just need a little time away from Daddy.” the Mom said as she carried Faith out to the 2090 Lexus RX Sport the Dad had just given her for her 35 birthday just a few days ago. Faith was strapped into her booster seat, and the Mom put her buckle on. Packing nothing but themselves they drove off.

This drive gave the Dad just enough time to reflect with the help of liquor. Days were long without his family and loneliness began to overwhelm him. He had always been the one away, traveling for work. He never knew how hard it was to stay home alone for so long. All the same Faith and her mom were traveling around Melior, her mom running on coffee from Dunkin Donuts and Faith running on applesauce packs found at the grocery store. They got to see their beautiful city at night and the fantastic views out their fogged up windows where they breathlessly glued their eyes. “Can’t we just stay here forever?” the Mom asked at one point as she tickled Faith on the red picnic table they were eating on at a local park. Faith giggled in reply as she watched a herd of deer go by.

“Food?” she asked, “for deer?” Faith was starting to elaborate on what she was talking about, and she was starting to try to use sentences. “You have food for deer?” Faith said as she stared at her empty applesauce container. “I no have food for deer…”

“I’m sorry honey, but I forgot the loaf of bread to feed them. Your dad always brings that when we picnic here…” the Mom answered reassuringly. “I already ate all of my food Faith.”

“Me too…” Faith said as she frowned at the floor. Her pouty face wrinkled in concentration. “Why Daddy no come to bring bread? Why deer hungry? Want Dada.”

“We can have fun without Daddy though, right Faith?”

Faith gazed into her mom’s eyes, “We no family no him.” As the Mom picked up and threw away, the trash Faith waved to the deer, heading their way to the car so they could drive home.

“I knew we couldn’t live like this forever; it was just so fun.” the Mom mumbled. The drive to the Pollock’s on 7 Domum Lane took longer than expected on the sunny afternoon that day. Home by dusk Faith and her mom had been gone for about a week. This was Faith’s first trip around Melior, her first vacation you might say. No one goes on vacations in the poor regions of Quinque anyway so this first travel around Melior was the typical vacation of a Melorian, plus the hotel. On arriving home stepping into the living room was Robert Pollock in his suit and tie, home from work that day. With a tequila bottle in hand and his head back on the couch, his slight snoring and the slow rise and fall of his chest, his weary face was apparently drunk. The Mom never knowing her Robert as one to do this took Faith upstairs to bed. With a quick lullaby Faith was asleep within minutes, exhausted from the journey she had just endured. Pushing Robert’s head aside and laying him down on a pillow on the couch she draped a blanket over him. Kissing him goodnight it comforted her to think his actions reflected how he felt without his family.