“Daddy? C’n we go to the park?”

“Sure, Baby,” Kevin Richardson answered, smiling down at his little girl. He and his wife, Kristin, had finally had their little dream come true. She was five, and as sweet as could be. She was also the spitting image of him, with her black hair and emerald eyes – though, where her curls came from was beyond them.

“C’n we go now, Daddy?”

Kevin chuckled. “Of course we can go now, Sweetie. Go get your jacket.”

The little one squealed with delight, running into the house to retrieve her jacket from the front hall coat rack. She returned moments later, with her windbreaker on over her green sundress.

Kevin scooped his baby girl up and gave her a kiss, and a tight squeeze.

The little girl squirmed and giggled, as the hug turned into tickles. “Daddy! That tickles!”

Kevin laughed, and set her back upon the ground.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Baby?”

“C’n I invites Brian to comes play?”

Kevin smiled at the mention of Nick’s two-year-old, that had been named after his beloved cousin. “Sure, Honey. You can go ahead and ask. But remember to look for cars on your way over, okay?”

She nodded, grinning up at her father. He was her hero and everybody knew it; just like everybody knew just how much she loved little Brian.

Kevin stood watching proudly as she stopped at the curb to look for cars. Nicky only lived across the street, so that was the only reason why she was allowed to cross alone after being given permission to go.

She turned and waved to her Daddy, a bright smile upon her face and her Raggedy-Ann doll clutched tightly in her hand.

Kevin chuckled and waved back, unable to help the smile that spread across his face. She was his little Princess, and would always be, no matter how old she got.

He heard people screaming then, and looked just in time to see a speeding van come careening around the corner. He felt his heart stop as he went to move, but was unable to get his feet to co-operate. He watched in complete, utter horror, as his pride and joy was run down by a vehicle that never once stopped.

“KENZIE!!!” ~~~~~~~~~~

Nick came running into the Hospital, as he’d heard Kevin’s pitiful cry from inside his house. He’d been mortified to open his front door and see little Kenzie lying unconscious on the ground, her father freaking out at her side.

“Kevin!” He called out, spotting the man he considered his older brother. Kristin wasn’t there, as she was in New York, filming a T.V. episode. Though, she was trying to find a flight home at that very moment. “How is she? What happened?”

Kevin looked up at Nick, tears in his emerald eyes. “I let her go, Nick,” he said flatly. “I shouldn’t have let her go!”

“Go where?” Nick asked confused.

“She wanted Brian to come to the park,” Kevin answered softly, as a Doctor came out then.

“Excuse me, Mr. Richardson?” The Doctor spoke softly.

Kevin’s head snapped up, as did Nick’s. “How – how is she?”

The Doctor looked grim, as he spoke words no parent ever wants to hear. “I’m sorry. We did the best we could. She’d too much head trauma and internal bleeding.”

Kevin just stared at the man blankly, as he was handed the Raggedy-Ann doll she’d been holding, the last time he’d seen her alive.

“Kev?” Nick said quietly, tears blocking his own vision, though he was trying to be strong for the man that stood before him.

“Why’d you hafta live across the street, Nick? Why?” Kevin cried desperately.

Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew what the older man was indicating, but he also knew he couldn’t blame him for it either. “I’m sorry….”

Kevin let loose a sob, as he collapsed back into the chair he’d been sitting in before Nick had come running to his side. His shoulders shook with each racking sob, as he hugged the Raggedy-Ann doll covered in her blood, tightly to his chest.