Next, I swim into the kitchen to see my mom still hovering over the stove. I kiss her cheek goodbye.

"Leaving?" she questions.

"Yes. We're already late," I mumble hastily.

"Okay. When will you be home?" I stop dead in my tracks. I didn't think of that...

"I don't know. When do you want me to be home?" I ask.

"Anytime is fine with me. I can take care of them for now," she smiles.

"I'll be back before your shift, I promise."

"Okay, sweetie. Have fun!" I nod my head.

"I will," I say as I swim out the door before being stopped by an upset Avery. He has tears flowing out of his eyes and a frown painted on his face.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"You're weaving." Even though this is not the time, I can't help but love how he can't pronounce the letter 'L'.

"I'm sorry. I have to go, though. I need to go work on a school project with Marissa," I apologize, instantly feeling bad that I'm leaving.

"Wiw you come back?"

"Of course, baby! I could never leave you," I exclaim, picking him up and hugging him tightly.

"Pwomise?"

"I pinky promise, okay? I will be coming back later to tuck you into bed and read you a bedtime story. And then tomorrow, I won't have to go to school, so we can play all day tomorrow. How does that sound?" Avery instantly lights up.

"Good," he says, smiling weakly.

"Okay, now be a good boy for mommy for me. I'll be back soon." I kiss his cheek. Avery hugs me one last time before going inside to watch me leave from the window.

I start swimming towards my school, feeling bad for leaving Avery. Marissa feels just as bad as I do. She loves Avery as if he was her own brother. He practically is. Marissa protects him, loves him, and cares for him as much as I do. Marissa has been there since Avery was born. She even waited with me and helped take care of Brittany and Blythe in the hospital while he was. I don't think I could have survived without her there. Brittany was nine at the time, and Blythe was only four. They were terrible monsters.

I was only thirteen when Avery was born. When I got to hold him for the first time, he smiled at me and fell asleep in my arms. His bright yellow tail was lighting up the whole room. Neither Brittany nor Blythe ever acted that way towards me when I first held them. They both cried and wanted to go back to my mom.

From that point on, I made it my mission to never let someone hurt Avery. From the moment I held him, I promised Avery I would always protect him. I even started calling him baby because he is my baby. I have always been there and made it my mission to be there for him whenever Avery needed me.

Although I made that promise to him, I failed my job. Someone hurt him: his own father. He left Avery like mine did me. Avery was asking for two whole months when his father would be back. None of us could break it to him, so we kept telling him that he was on a business trip.

During those two months, Avery's birthday happened. Avery wouldn't let anyone celebrate it because he was waiting for his father to swim in through the door with a birthday present, telling him happy birthday.

After the two months passed, Avery realized his father was never coming back. The past few months have been such a roller coaster for him. In fact, his whole life has been when it came to his father.