How do you say goodbye?

That is the question isn’t it?

How do you leave the one person who you’ve ever loved more than yourself?

The angel herself skipped in, lighting up the whole room with her smile.

“Hey Daddy!”

I smiled, “Hey, sweetie.”

“I know you’re sad. And Mommy says you’re goin somewhere. Somewhere bad. Are you gonna be ok? Did I do somethin wrong?”

Of course her mother put that crap in her head. She does that to everyone. It’s never her fault. “No, sweetie, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just gonna go somewhere for a while, and then I’ll be back. Good as new!”

“Aww.. but you’re awesome the way you are! Can I still visit you?”

“Of course you can. Anytime you want. I promise.”

“Yay! So what are we gonna do!? Go to outer space? Yes! I can be the evil alien named…. Bob! Yea! Bob! And you can be the superhero! You’ll save the world from Bob and live happily ever after!”

I’m going to miss this. I don’t want to say goodbye. I have too, though. I can’t run from the law. That would just make it worse.

We “go to outer space” and I save the world and by now it’s almost time to say goodbye.

Before I get the chance to, the officers come into the empty room. The brightness Annie radiates fades a little. The officers take me away.

“Daddy?”

I smile as reassuringly as I can, tears rolling off my cheeks.

“Goodbye, Annie. Daddy will always love you.”