"Daddy!" Emily squealed, her pigtails bouncing up at her along with her body.

"Yes Emily?" Andre said, his face focused on the computer on his lap.

"Can you please play with me?" she begged.

"No sweetie, Daddy needs to work." Andre looked down at his watch then his daughter. "I can play with you in about 15 minutes. Is that okay?"

"Okay!" she said, as she skipped back to the playground.

A smile spread across Andre's face.

***

Ten minutes had passed.

Andre's eyes scrutinized the playground.

The park became Eily's favorite spot to play on the account of it being close to home and being quite big. It was great for Andre too. When Emily got antsy and needed to go outside he could trust the park to keep her safe. The only problem was the somewhat busy road that laid between their house and the park. Sometimes Emily would go outside and try to cross the street by herself. She almost got hit by a car twice since the three years they had lived there.

Andre taught Emily how to use the crosswalk and how to be extra careful by looking twice before you go and an important rule--never jaywalk.

Andre heard a crash. It was at the corner.

Andre went to see what happened.

Then he saw the blood. Someone had been hit.

Andre rushed to see the calamity closer. He noticed black hair mixed with blood then, "Daddy."

It was Emily.

He pushed past people and held his bloody daughter in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I broke the rules."

"No, sweetheart. It's not your fault," Andre tried to sooth his daughter, but he himself was quivering.

Her chest had blood all over it. It dripped down her white dress staining it a sinistear scarlet. That was her favorite dress. It made her feel as pure as the dress itself--now it was dirty with her blood.

He could hear sirens coming.

"You will be fine Emily." Andre prayed. "You will be okay."

"I'm tired" was the last thing Emily said as her eyes shut to never open again.