Make Me Proud

“Oh no, she’s home!” Maddy spoke quietly to Zara, her imaginary friend, drawn so she had someone to hold through the tearful nights.
Maddy hoped down from her bed, she spoke softly again “You’ll be safe there”, as she put Zara behind a chest of drawers.
“Maddy, sweetheart” Her mothers drunken voice approached. “Where are you?”
“Naomie, hun.” Maddy didn’t recognise that mans voice, she just curled up under covers, waiting for the morning to come.
Laughs came from her mother’s bedroom, she prayed for her dads return from the special place the nurse said he went to.
The strange man spoke again, “It’s only 2am, babe.” followed by more laughs, which brought more tears to Maddy’s deep blue eyes.
“This isn’t home, this can’t be home.” She whispered to herself. “Help me, dad, come home soon.” She cried herself to sleep, her mother’s laughs, sinking into the night.
The next morning, Maddy fetched her mother some toast, just like every morning, and walked into her mother’s room. “Mommy, mommy?” She spoke, “Where are you?”
She looked at the bed, the messed up covered over it, and one piece of paper.
Maddy read it;
Maddy, go find Dad. Make me proud of you, for once. There’s a big enough bridge near here.
Maddy didn’t understand, she just stood there in her night-gown, and placed the tray on the floor. “Mommy! Dad!” She waited. “Mommy… Dad…”