As I glance outside my window, I the harsh winter at it’s finest. All cozy in my blanket, I sip on my hot chocolate waiting for my father to come home. I hear the squeaking of the door hinges and the cracking in the floorboards. Someone is approaching. Could it be my father who has been absent for the past week? “Boo” exclaimed my little brother Timothy popping up from behind me. Timothy rips my blanket away from me and says, “mine.” I do not get mad, because I know my little brother does not mean any harm even though I was cold too. Timothy starts to wine, “ I am hungry!” I finally get up to make us some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, because I not the world greatest chef. When I enter the kitchen, all I see my mom on the floor crying with a postcard in her hand. When she notices me she quickly wipes the tears from her eyes and gestures for me to come sit next to her. “He is not coming back. He is gone. Your father is gone.” she says as she weeps. I can not believe that my father left us right before Christmas. Who does he think he is leaving us? Christmas is in two days. Later that night, we tried to break the news to Timothy, but he is too young to understand. The next morning was slow my mom was in her room and Timothy was still in bed, but not I. I was up and ready to go last minute Christmas shopping. As I walked to the Dollar Store down my street, I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket. “Ouch!” I yelped. I got a papercut from something in my pocket. I pulled out the piece of cruel paper only to figure out it is not just any piece of paper. It is a picture of me and my dad. I have been keeping this photo close to me since his disappearance. My brain told me to rip up of photo and throw it away, while my heart told me to stick it back in my pocket. Tears started to run down my flushed cheeks, so I fold the picture and stick it in my pocket. I finally arrived at the store. As I stood at the front of the store, I pondered on what to buy for my baby brother and my mom. I decide on buying my brother a packet of green army men, and my mom so nice smelling soap. Once I made my way back home, I woke my mom and brother up so we could partake in our family tradition of making Christmas cookies, watching Christmas movies and building a fort. We had a wonderful time, and by doing so no one was upset about my father. We were happy. Night time fell upon us, and we all snuggled up underneath our fort we built in the living room. A new day dawned, it was Christmas morning! I shook Timothy and mom and yelled in excitement, “Merry Christmas!” It was not long after that until Timothy and I opened all of our gifts from mom, I found a gift addressed from my father to me. I opened the gift to find a locket in a box with a note. The locket had my name engraved script on it. I then picked up the note and read it. It said, “ My little darling, I am so sorry, but I had to go. I am not the best father figure, but I still love you and will always love you even if it hurts you to say my name. You will always be my little darling and that will never change.” After reading that note, I excused myself from my family and went outside on the porch. My response to the note was three words. Those three words were “I forgive you.” Even though my dad disappointed me, I forgave him. At that moment, I released being able forgive someone is that hardest thing to do, but at the same time it is the most important.