As I carried her up the small flight of stairs I continued to think of Mimi. Not that that was very different, my mind was always on Mimi. I loved her, I missed her, I needed her. I sighed and pushed thoughts of her away as I laid Cassy down on the bed and exited the room looking for food to make for her dinner.

An hour later I'd finished making up some chicken and stars for Cassadee. "Good morning, princess." I whispered as she walked out of her room and rubbed her eyes. I walked over to her as she raised her arms hoping to be picked up. I chuckled and picked her up. "Did you sleep okay?"

She shook her tiny head no and laid it down on my shoulder. "I had a nightmare she admitted." I looked at her shocked and asked her what it was about. "Mommy." She said simply, my heart began to ache again. "She kept leaving me, I couldn't catch up with her, I couldn't stop her." She started to cry.

I wanted to do just that as well. I couldn't give my daughter the one thing I wanted more than anything to give her. "Oh baby, it's alright. Mommy would never leave you if she had the choice." I rubbed her back as she cried.

"Then why did she leave?" She wailed, her tears intensifying.

"Mommy was sick baby, she didn't have a choice." I explained quietly, willing myself not to cry with her.

"What was wrong with her?" She asked innocently tears still falling from her big brown eyes.

"She had a bad disease called AIDS." I said not knowing any way to make it simpler for her to understand.

"What's that?" She asked sniffling as I sat her down in a chair.

"It's a disease where it hurts the things in your body that get you over being sick."

"Oh." She said, still looking confused.

"Yes, now eat some soup so we can get you all ready." I kissed the top of her head and stood up to get myself something to eat.