Kate’s tiny fingers were wrapped around the edges of her favorite stuffed animal, a worn-out bear she had named Mr. Cuddles. She sat cross-legged on the living room floor, her wide eyes fixed on the front door. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the room, and Kate’s small frame seemed to absorb the last golden rays of light.
Her mother, Linda, was busy in the kitchen, the aroma of baking cookies filling the house. The scent was comforting, but it wasn’t enough to distract Kate from her growing concern. Kate had been waiting eagerly all day for her father, Robert, to come home. The house seemed unusually quiet without his laughter and the familiar sound of his footsteps. The days had felt longer lately, and each sunset seemed to stretch on, as if time itself was dragging its feet.
“Mommy, when is Daddy coming back?” Kate’s voice was soft but insistent, tinged with a mix of hope and worry. She tugged gently at the hem of her mother’s apron as Linda measured out flour, trying to keep herself busy but unable to fully focus on the task at hand.
Linda paused for a moment, her heart aching as she glanced at her daughter. The question was a repeated one, each time more earnest than the last. “Daddy will be home soon, sweetheart,” she replied, trying to sound reassuring. “He has to finish some important work, but he’s thinking about you all the time.”
Kate’s little brow furrowed in confusion. “But why is his work so important? Why can’t he just come home now?” She turned her big, trusting eyes up at her mother, searching for an explanation that would make sense to her young mind.
Linda sighed softly, kneeling down to be at eye level with her daughter. “Daddy’s work is very important because it helps us live comfortably. He wants to make sure we have everything we need, but he also wants to be here with us. Sometimes, he just has to work a little longer than he planned.”
Kate’s gaze dropped to her lap, where Mr. Cuddles was being squeezed tightly. Her small fingers stroked the bear’s fur as she thought about her father. “I miss him,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
Linda’s heart broke a little more with each word. She reached out and gently ruffled Kate’s hair. “I miss him too, honey. But we have to be patient a little while longer. Daddy loves you very much and he’s doing everything he can to get back to us.”
The promise of her father’s return was a comforting but abstract idea for Kate. She was young, and the concept of time was fluid and hard to grasp. All she knew was that her father was not here, and that made everything feel incomplete.
The kitchen timer dinged, snapping Linda out of her thoughts. She quickly pulled the cookies from the oven, the smell wafting through the house and providing a brief distraction. “How about we have some cookies while we wait for Daddy?” she suggested, hoping that the simple pleasure might lift Kate’s spirits.
Kate’s face brightened a little at the mention of cookies. “Okay, Mommy!” She hopped up, her earlier sadness momentarily forgotten as she followed her mother to the kitchen.
As they sat at the table, the two of them enjoyed the warm, gooey cookies. Kate’s laughter returned, a reminder of her resilience even in the face of uncertainty. Still, the question remained in the back of her mind, even as she nibbled on the sweet treat. “Mommy,” she began again between bites, “will Daddy come home before bedtime?”
Linda swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “I hope so, sweetheart. I really do. Daddy wants to be home with us as soon as he can. Maybe you can make a special drawing for him, so he’ll have something nice to come home to.”
Kate’s eyes lit up with the idea. She eagerly agreed and jumped from her seat to grab her crayons and drawing pad. As she began to draw a picture of her family, with Daddy in the center, her small tongue peeked out in concentration. The act of drawing provided a small but significant comfort, a way for her to channel her longing and love into something tangible.
Linda watched her daughter work, feeling a mixture of pride and sorrow. She knew that words alone could not fully soothe Kate’s anxiety. The promise of a drawing and the simple joys of everyday moments were small but crucial ways to bridge the gap until Robert could return.
Hours passed, and the sky outside deepened into a darker shade of blue. Kate’s eyes grew heavy as she finished her drawing, a colorful depiction of a family reunion that seemed to sparkle with hopeful anticipation. Linda tucked her into bed, the drawing placed on the nightstand where Kate could see it as she slept.
As Linda kissed her daughter goodnight, she whispered, “Daddy will be home soon, Kate. I promise.”
Kate nodded sleepily, her little hand reaching out to clutch Mr. Cuddles one last time before she drifted off to sleep. The night grew still, and Linda sat by the bedside for a while, lost in thought. The wait was hard, but it was made bearable by the love and hope that bound their family together.
In the quiet of the night, Linda held onto the belief that the day would come when Robert would walk through that door, and the family would be reunited. Until then, she would continue to provide comfort, answers, and most importantly, the unwavering assurance that Daddy’s return was just around the corner.
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I hope this captures the essence of Kate’s feelings and her interactions with her mother regarding her father’s return.
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