“Knock, knock.”
“Hey there, kiddo. Whatcha playing?”
“Kirby.”
“Kirby, huh? I remember her. She was around when Daddy was your age. Mind if I sit down?”
“Ok.”
“Wow, you're really good at this game, Flurry! That's a lot of points.”
“I'm sorry we had to leave the park early yesterday. Daddy got a call from work, it was an emergency."
"But you had fun with Grandma Velvet, right?”
“Uh-huh. We made cupcakes.”
“Mmm, Grandma's cupcakes are the best.”
“Was your Mom there?”
“She picked me up and brought me home. But she stayed and talked to Grandma for a little while.”
“What did they talk about?”
“Grown-up stuff.”
“Right, right…”
“Flurry, honey. Can you pause the game for a second? There's something I need to talk to you about.”
“...Okay, Daddy.”
“This… This isn't easy to talk about. I'm not very good at this.”
“Your Mom and I haven't been getting along lately. And we decided—both of us, together—we decided that… Your Mom and I might have to… Go our separate ways.”
“What I mean is, we might have to stop being married for a while. So some things might change soon. We might not be able to play or see each other every day.”
“Flurry? Do you understand what I'm saying?”
“Honey?”
“...You’re leaving us?”
“Flurry, don't cry… It's complicated.”
“You said you loved us forever.”
“And I do.”
“Then what's so compmicated about that?”
“Princess... It's hard to explain. Sometimes, people just don't get along anymore. They hurt each other's feelings, without meaning to. And sometimes the best thing to do is to part ways.”
“…You still love us?
“Of course I do. I still love your Mom, and I will never stop loving you.”
“Do you love your work friend more?”
“...What work friend?
“That tall lady with the greenish hair. The one who comes over when Mama is away.”
“You’ve been staying up past your bedtime, huh?”
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I know that was bad. I just… I heard a stranger in the house. I got scared, and Whammy said we should check to make sure. I'm sorry.”
“Did you tell your Mom what you saw? No? Good. Listen to me, Flurry, I need you to make me a promise. You have to promise to keep my ‘work friend’ a secret. You can't tell anyone. Not your Mom, not Auntie Twi, not Grandma Velvet. Nobody. Do you understand?”
“...Am I in trouble?”
“No, princess, you're not in trouble. This is just very important. If anyone knows about Daddy’s work friend… Then I might get in trouble. Your Mom might stop me from ever seeing you again. We don't want that, do we?”
“No, Daddy.”
“Right. So that means we have to keep this a secret between us.”
“Is she a bad person?”
“No. She's not a bad person. I think you'd like her a lot, actually.”
“Then why—”
“You wouldn't understand. It's a grown-up thing. Just… Promise me you won't tell anyone, and everything is going to be okay, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy. I promise.”
“Good, good.”
“Flurry. I love you.”
“I love you too, Daddy.”
“After dinner, how about we go get some ice cream from that place you like?”
“Flurry?”
“Daddy's talking to you, honey.”
“I'm not in the mood for ice cream. I just wanna play Kirby.”
“Okay, princess. Have fun with your game.”
“Grown-ups are dumb, Whammy.”
“If she's not a bad person, why do we have to keep it secret?”
“Lying is bad, right? But not listening to Daddy is bad too. So what do I do? Any ideas, Whammy?”
“Me neither. If only—”
“Shining, we were… together.”
“Why? So you can pin the whole thing on me, like you—”
“Shh! Keep… down… gonna hear us.”
“I couldn't… her think… my fault…”
“Why… blame game?”
“This is… you wanted, Cadence. I never… be a father! I didn't… Not my fault… you… pressured…”
“Gimme the remote, Whammy. Kirby is too quiet…”
“Flurry? Can I come in?”
“Hi, Mama.”
“Hey there, sweetie. Ooh, is that Kirby? I loved him when I was your age.”
“Do you wanna play? I saved the pink controller for you, cause I know it's your favorite.”
“Oh, honey, that is so sweet of you. Here, how's this? I've got to check on dinner soon, but once we're all done eating, we can play some Kirby. Sound good?”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Awesome. It's a date, then.”
“So… you and Dad talked earlier?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Sorry I missed it. That was a conversation that we really should've had together.”
“It's okay, Mama. It's not your fault.”
“I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay. I know this might sound scary. Things might change soon. But I promise that what won't change is how much we both love you.”
“Mama, have I been bad?”
“Flurry, baby, no. You're the most wonderful daughter anyone could ever hope for. What's going on with me and Dad has nothing to do with you.”
“Do you still love Daddy?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then why don't you want to be married anymore?”
“Sometimes, things don't always work out the way you expect them to. Over time, people change, and that's okay. It's a good thing, actually. But sometimes, when people change, what they want now is different than what they wanted then. So we have to let them go and find what makes them happy.”
“We don't make Daddy happy anymore?”
“Oh, honey, that's not what I meant. It's not our fault, it's not Dad's fault. It's not anyone's fault.”
“What's gonna happen when you and Daddy aren't married anymore?”
“I wish I knew exactly what to tell you, honey, but the truth is… Not even the grown-ups have this one figured out. But I promise, we're still going to love you and take care of you just like we always have.”
“Will I still be able to make cupcakes with Grandma Velvet?”
“Heh. Grandma Velvet would do anything to keep her little baker in her life.”
“Are you doing okay, Flurry?”
“I'm scared, Mama.”
“It's okay to be scared. I know how this must feel. When I was just a little older than you, my mom and my dad split up, and we had a talk just like this one. I cried for a long time.”
“I wanted to cry a little bit. But Whammy is helping me stay brave.”
“Whammy is such a good friend. Well, Flurry, it's okay if you want to cry, and it's also okay if you don't. No matter what, I'm here for you.”
“Okay, Mama. I'm here for you, too.”
“Aww, come here, baby. Gimme hugs.”
“I better check on dinner now. Are we still on for Kirby later?”
“It's a date.”
“Mama, wait. I gotta tell you something.”
“Hm? What's the matter, sweetie?”
“I love you, Mama.”
“I love you too.”
“I don't like lying either, Whammy…”
