It was Friday.

The Friday on which mom had invited Bull to dinner.

The party, or should I rather say, the bald party arrived on time. We were all shocked out of our senses. Bull, with Claire in his arms, looked nervous and had a small uneasy smile on his face which looked like it would turn into a crying pout at any moment. Daddy – who had answered the door – did not even recognize them for a moment because he said, “Yes, how may I help y-”

A sudden realization in a small frozen moment.

“Bull? Claire?” He exclaimed loudly.

Mom came running from the kitchen. Bull stood timidly while Claire was wondering why daddy was being so loud.

“What happened?” Mom asked nearing daddy. “Is everything alr- Oh my goodness! What-What is this?”

She took Claire from Bull’s arms and pulled his arm inside the house, all the while looking them up and down.

“My goodness!” Mom exclaimed, daddy following after them. “What on earth?”

She settled Bull down on the sofa while she looked at Claire’s bald head incredulously.

“Ah…um…” Bull scratched his neck. “Claire…I thought, well, you know…she needed a shave, I thought. She never had one.”

When I arrived into the hall, and gazed upon the glorious bald heads – especially of Claire’s – I just couldn’t contain my laughter and let out a loud laugh right at the baby’s confused face.

Claire pinched her left ear with her thumb and index finger and made a crying face. She looked at mom as if to complain and then whimpered.

“Stop it,” Mom gestured at me with her hand. “You are embarrassing her.”

Heh, ‘embarrass’? That little girl feels embarrassed? You don’t even know how to spell ‘life’, little fetus!

“Bull,” Mom said. “I must say I am disappointed.”

“Well, Bull is right to say that her head needed a shave.” Daddy agreed. “Good for her hair growth.”

“But she looked so cute with hair on her head!”

“It’s alright. It will grow back quickly.” Bull said.

“But she looks so damn funny right now!” I exclaimed and touched her head. Claire whimpered and raised her tiny arm in the air to show that she would hit me with it. “Oh, my! You got attitude, huh?” I teased and messed with her head even more. Claire hit the nearest part of my body – which was the wrist of the hand messing with her bald head.

“Claire, no!” Bull caught her hand. “What did I tell you about hitting others?”

The baby whimpered more and pressed her head into mom’s shoulder. Then she lifted it and motioned her arms towards Bull so he would take her instead.

“More importantly,” Mom said after giving Claire to Bull. “I never knew how uneven her head was!” she swiped her palm over Claire’s head. “Yours is much better.”

“Ya, I guess it’s natural.” Bull said.

“No, young man.” Mom waved a finger at him. “It’s because you were reared by a mother.”

Bull looked down, unable to reply.

*

While we were having dinner, one of daddy’s good friends – Mr. Gonzalez, who operates his own tech company – showed up at the house. By that time, mom and I had finished eating so she served Mr. Gonzalez and told me to take Claire to her room upstairs. I huffed and picked up the baby.

“Lazy,” I whispered to Claire. “When do you plan on walking?”

“And don’t leave her alone.” Mom called behind me. I rolled my eyes. I could hear Mr. Gonzalez ask about Claire and it was followed by my parents’ colorful introduction of Bull and his ever-so-adorable baby girl.

I sat Claire on my parents’ bed and sighed. This baby is gradually gaining weight. If it wasn’t for daddy, I would have kicked her out of my house already. When I looked at her, it seemed her eyelids were getting heavy with sleep. A few moments later, mom showed up and Claire’s sleep flew away and she smiled and giggled upon her arrival. Mom was totally all over her.

“Aw, look, Sadie! She is so cute!” Mom said. “I feel like I have two daughters now.”

“Hmph.” was all I said. After some moments I asked her something.

“Mom,”

“Hmm?”

“Is it true that you and Daddy wanted a second child?”

Mom looked at me and nodded with a smile.

“So was I the reason why you guys didn’t have one?” I embraced myself for her answer. I knew it would suck if I was the reason and my gut said I was.

To my surprise, mom laughed and shook her head. “No, honey.”

“Then?”

“Well,” she seemed a bit uneasy. “I wasn’t a very fertile woman.”

I looked at her shockingly. I didn’t like what she said. Why could she even say that about herself?

“We had you after five years of our marriage…through a lot of treatment.” She reminisced. “The main problem was in me. When we finally had you, we were so happy. We thought we could have another child through treatment again, although it was very expensive but we still decided we would try. When you turned eight, we gave up and were grateful that at least we weren’t childless.”

“I see.” I pretended to be unmoved by her words but in reality, I think, I felt a little closer to her after knowing all this. Even though she said they were grateful for me, I think I felt grateful for having them.

“Sadie,” Mom cut my train of thoughts.

“Yes?”

“Do you…have any idea about Claire’s mother?” She asked genuinely. I looked at the playing child and then to Mom. “I don’t know, Mom.”

“Has Bull told you anything?”

I shook my head. “I never talk to him, Mom. You know that.”

“That’s what I dislike about you.”

*

It seemed like Mr. Gonzalez, who was a rather dry person, took a keen interest in Bull. Daddy, Bull and Mr. Gonzalez talked for two hours before the guest took his leave. One and a half hour after that, Bull prepared to take his leave too.

“Thank you very much, Doctor Hill. The dinner was splendid.” Bull smiled and shook daddy’s hand as he stood at the door frame.

“Do not mention it.” Daddy said. “You are family to us.”

“And…” Bull nervously looked ahead to Mom who had Claire in her arms. Daddy looked over his shoulder to Mom and understood what he wanted to say and said, “Don’t worry,” he added. “You can come to take Claire on Sunday or Monday – not that she is any sort of a burden to us – we welcome both of you equally. Whenever it is convenient for you please stop by for your daughter.”

“Ah, thank you.” Bull said and looked ahead to Claire. “Bye, Claire! Papa is leaving!” he waved at the enthusiastic baby. During Claire’s first few days, mom had her head turned away from Bull so that she wouldn’t see him leave or else she would start crying her eyes out. But now she doesn’t cry, instead waves back at her father.

“Thank you for coming by and thanks for letting us keep her.” Mom said. (She just has to say this line every single time!)

“Of course, not! Thank you for keeping her!” Bull replied. “And filling our stomachs.”

“Thank you for giving me a kidney.” Daddy randomly said and everyone laughed out (except me, of course. You guys know you have a dry protagonist over here).

All of us saw Bull’s steps taking him away from the house and if anyone of us had known what is to come ahead, we would have stopped him.

…

It would have saved a lot of chaos.

*

Two days later.

Sunday.

Mom expected Bull to come over for Claire but he didn’t. No big deal. There have been previous two times when he took her on Mondays. So everything was peaceful in the house. Mom was excited to get an extra day with Claire.

*

Monday.

Mom told me to meet Bull in college and ask if he planned to take Claire that day but I told her I wasn’t interested in searching him out and asking him that. If he wanted to get his daughter, he would. If he didn’t come then it certainly meant he would take her on Tuesday.

That night, Mom waited for Bull as Claire cried but the father in question didn’t come. Daddy assured her that Bull would definitely come to take Claire the next day.

*

Tuesday.

I didn’t see Bull in college. Daddy checked up in his apartment on his way back from work and found out that Bull hasn’t come home for a while. His neighbor, Aunt Peyton, was a bit distressed about him.

Daddy returned home tensed and revealed everything to mom.

“Oh, dear!” Mom fell onto the sofa. “Nathan…wh-what do you think happened? Where is he?”

Daddy rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know, Kaylee. Even his neighbors didn’t know.”

“The poor baby has been missing him.” Mom voiced. “I don’t think she can be silenced anymore.”

I arrived at the distressed scene and frowned. “Mom, Daddy….what happened? Something seems off.”

“Your Daddy went to Bull’s apartment but his neighbors said he hasn’t been seen for a while.” Mom’s lips were quivering while saying this.

“Hasn’t been seen for a while?” My mind wondered off to the very first day I saw Bull in that college fight and then to the scary car wash place he worked in. I gulped as my legs gave way. I sat on the nearest sofa and thought.

“Sadie, do you know something?” Daddy asked me. I met his eyes and then looked at mom’s hopeful ones.

“Uhm, I…this place he works in…we should check it and ask the people there –”

“Let’s go.” Daddy abruptly stood from his place. “Do you know the way, dear?”

“Yes.”

*

“This place…?” Daddy looked perplexed and somewhat displeased.

I had brought him to the same place where Bull worked part-time. That same dark street filled with awful men. And some of them were already giving us looks.

“Yea…” I replied, opening the door of the car. Daddy instantly jumped out of the car as well and hurriedly stood by my side.

“Stay together, dear.” He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I remembered how Bull had said ‘stick together’ when he had brought me here.

It means he did care about me.

I inhaled and looked ahead, moving my steps towards the car-wash in determination. God, please let him be here.

Upon entering the shop, I saw a familiar face. I couldn’t recall the name of the person but I looked at Daddy and nodded at him. Daddy looked ahead at the guy and, along with me, approached him. I could see that a hint of recognition appeared in the guy’s eyes.

“Hello, mister.” Daddy spoke, putting his hand out. The guy looked at the hand and shook it after a moment.

“I’m Doctor Hill from –”

“I see the girl,” he nodded at me. “You have been here once, haven’t you?”

“Uhm…yes.” I answered hesitantly, not looking at Daddy.

“We are here to –”

“Tell me,” Daddy was interrupted again. “Where is that boyfriend of yours? The bastard hasn’t showed at work for a few days now. Thinks I’ll tolerate that.”

“H-He’s not my boyfriend!” I protested, cheeks heating.

“Boyfriend…?” Daddy looked at me and then at the guy. “Are you talking about Bull?”

“Bull,” the guy looked a bit surprised that Daddy knew about Bull. “Yes. That guy.”

Daddy and I looked at each other then back at the guy.

“I’m sorry, gentleman, but…” Daddy said to him. “We are here for the same purpose.”

“No need to call me ‘gentleman’. I ain’t one.” He said, lighting a cigarette.

“Ah…alright. We –”

“Cut the crap, Julian!” I yelled as I suddenly remembered his name. “My father isn’t your slave. You don’t even deserve the respect he is giving you! Just tell us already! Do you or do you not know about Bull’s whereabouts?”

“Sadie –”

“Eh! You are as hot tempered as your boyfriend.” He spat. “I don’t know a thing about that brat. Must have got into a fight with some group again. It won’t be a surprise if they killed him and left him to d-”

“Enough!” I yelled and stomped past Daddy towards the car. Daddy looked between my retreating figure and Julian, trying to reconcile and make something of the situation. But he thought better to leave his attempt and walk after his daughter.

“T-Thank you, sir!” he hastily nodded at Julian and ran towards the car where I had already taken my seat. I covered my face in my palms. Yes, I felt stressed all of a sudden. And the odd thing is I felt stressed for Bull – the person I had stopped caring about months ago. In the darkness that my closed eyes offered, I momentarily saw Bull’s face in a flash. Uncovering my face, I realized a tear had escaped my eye.

“Sadie,” Daddy placed his hand on my shoulder, making me realize he had taken his seat too. “Don’t worry. We will find him.”

I hope we do, Daddy.