“Mommy, why hasn't Daddy come back? I miss him so much, Why doesn't he visit or even call?"

Despite his young age, the traumatic events had left a deep wound in Melon's heart. It was completely understandable for him to yearn for his father in this moment of distress.

Unable to hold back, he burst into tears as he continued, "I want Daddy.

If Daddy were with us, we wouldn't have been bullied, right?"

Tears welled up in Ariana's eyes as she enveloped her son in a gentle embrace. She understood that Melon was hurting, seeking the comfort and protection of his father in this time of need. Ariana blamed herself for not being there for him the previous night. If only she had been there, none of this would've happened,

As she softly rubbed his back, Ariana was overcome by a mixture of sadness and guilt. She couldn't provide him with the complete family he longed for. The weight of her guilt threatened to crush her.

She had considered moving on with another man, all for Melon's sake, But it was out of the question - she couldn't forget her beloved Theodore.

The idea of anyone else trying to replace him was unimaginable.

But how could she explain to a five-year-old that his father was gone forever?

So Ariana found herself resorting to telling gentle lies and half-truths.

“Your father loves you so much. I'm sure he's thinking about you even now.

He wishes he could be here."

With each word of false reassurance, Ariana's heart broke a little more.

But she didn't see any other option.

To her dismay, Melon persisted with innocent questions that only deepened her sense of guilt.

“If Daddy misses me, why doesn't he call sometimes?

My friend's dad calls from his ship every week."

Melon surprised Ariana by catching on to that little gap in her story, and for a second, Ariana was lost for words. But after a moment's thought, she finally came up with something.

“Do you know of these military folks who have to do super tough, secret missions in really rough places?"

Melon wiped away his tears and shook his head.