Please Come Back

Eve knew that something was wrong as soon as she saw her uncle walk into the room, but it was the people behind him that really caught her attention and she couldn't help the dread that washed over her. Watching as her uncle crouched in front of her chair, Eve noticed the unshed tears in his eyes and frowned.

"Can we go home now?" Eve asked in a quiet voice, feeling tears form in her eyes as she waited for an answer, "Uncle Dan?"

"Not just yet baby girl," Dan replied, clearing his throat and running a hand over his face, "Listen Evie, you're going to go stay with a really nice family for a little while and they're going to take super good care of you, until I can sort this mess out."

"I don't want to," Eve mumbled as tears poured down her face, "Mum said that I could stay with you... she promised."

"I know she did sweetheart and there is nothing that I want more, but things are a little more complicated than that."

"It's time for us to go, Mr. Clark," one of the women announced as she approached them, picking up Eve's backpack from the ground and placing her hand on Eve's shoulder with a smile.

"Please don't leave me," Eve begged as Dan stood up, throwing herself into his arms, "I don't want to go anywhere without you..."

"It won't be for long," Dan promised as he kissed her head, "I love you so much, Evie."

"To the moon and back?" Eve inquired, looking up at her uncle and noticing the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"To the moon and back," Dan confirmed with a sad smile.

"Let's go, Eve," the lady ordered, prying Eve's arms from around Dan's waist and leading her away from.

"I didn't say it back," Eve whispered as realization struck her, causing panic to erupt within her like a volcano, "I didn't say it back."

"I'm sure he already knows."

"How can he know if I didn't say it back," Eve argued, struggling in the lady's grip, "You don't understand, I have to tell him... please, just let me tell him that I love him too."

"I'm sorry, Eve, but you can't," the lady told her sternly, "Now, get in the car and strap yourself in."

Nobody knew of the darkness that filled her head, nobody knew of the storm raging inside and they never would. It was surprising how much pain and anger someone so small could carry, but here she was like a nuclear bomb waiting to explode.

They took away her person, the one person in the entire world that made her feel safe and loved... her uncle. Her uncle was the one that comforted her, when she had nightmares and was too scared to go back to sleep.

He was the one that would sit with her and look through pictures of her mum, telling stories from the childhood that he had spent with her. Now that he wasn't there, who was going to make up silly stories with her and watch movies that she'd seen a million times before... who would make sure that she remembered her mum.