Victoria's mother was coming home today.

A few weeks ago, her mother was sent to the hospital after her illness reached a critical stage. Since the disease was treatable, her mother had gone through multiple surgeries. However, most of those surgeries weren't all successful, so the family was worried. But with Victoria's letter to Santa, the girl believed that her mother would come home - safe in the arms of her father with her arms tightly around her perfectly healthy mother.

With this reason, Victoria was prancing through the halls - her body radiating excitement with her mother's return.

"Mother is coming!" Victoria yelled. Her eyes sparkling with happiness and her smile outshining the sun.

When she reached the doors to her father's studies, she tore the doors open. Finally, with her sights landing on her father - Victoria ran towards him.

"Father! Did Mother arrive home yet?" She asked, her arms was tightly around the man. Her smile was beaming straight at him, but seem overpowering - didn't she realized?

There was an atmosphere of tension before Victoria arrived. The man was stiff and rigid with fingers painfully gripping the telephone. His face drained of color with only swollen, bloodshot eyes. A terrifying sight- his eyes were blank, completely devoid of nothing.

Seeing this, Victoria was utterly shocked. Her once radiating happiness became dull. She was worried for her father and petrified at what could've caused this.

"Father, what's wrong?" Victoria asked, nails digging into her father's shoulders.

Realizing his daughter's presences, his head turned towards her. Eyes still blank, he stared at his champion.

"My Victorious one, I'm so sorry."

"What do you mean? Father, what happened? Victoria asked, her eyes wide. Nails now drawing blood - her father winked from the pain. He gently grabbed his daughter's fingers - larger hand enclosing around her smaller ones.

"Victoria, she's dead."

Silence filled the room.

Victoria's fingers became limp in her father's hand. Her body frozen, eyes wide -it was ready to pop- and she screamed.

Strong arms were around her shoulders, her fingers clung to her father's dress shirt. She thrashed and sobbed, releasing wheezing gasp - breath, deep breaths.

"Calm down. It's alright."

"It's not! Not!"

Her words became nonsense as she hysterical babbled on his shoulders. Her father's arms were vice grip, they held on as though she would disappear in he released her.

He rocked back and forth, soothing her with comforting words.

"My Victor, she's in a better place. She's with the stars now, my Victoria."

Sobbing harder, she stared at her father, and she asked, "but, why did she leave us? I made a wish! Santa was supposed to bring her home!"

He stared at his daughter with sadness, before telling her:

"Even Santa can't negotiate with Death, my Victoria. I'm sorry."

His reply was met with a child's screams and tears - becoming deafening.

His shoulder, completely soaked after this day.