It was a cool winter night in January. A soldier stood in front of two lovely girls: his wife and his daughter. As he set his bad down in the snow, he gave his wife a hug. As he gave her the last hug they would share until he would return, he whispered, "I love you," into her ear. As they kissed, he smiled, wiped away a tear that had formed in her eyes and bent down so he was eye-to-eye with his daughter, Evelyn.
"Good luck, dad. I know you'll do great and powerful things." She said, as he smiled, pushing some of her brown hair back behind her ear.
"That's it? No hug, no kiss, no nothing? Just good luck? I'm hurt, Eve. I'm really hurt."He said. She smiled, as he pulled her in closer, so her head was on his shoulder. He felt the tears begin to hit his shirt, and his heart began to ache, but he was only going off to war to protect his family, friends, and his darling Evelyn.
She looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face, and faked a smile. He smiled back as he set her down on his lap and looked her square in the eye.
"I'm sorry dad. I really thought that I was ready. I kept telling myself all week that I wouldn't cry, that I would be strong, and I'd be able to smile when I saw you off, but I guess I was wrong. I still don't see why you have to go, why everything has to change."
"I know you don't darling, but it's changing for the best. The sooner the war is over, the faster I can get back here to you and mom. Trust me, I'll be safe. I'm not on the front lines." He replied.
"You don't have to be on the front lines to be hurt or killed."
"You're right. You don't."
She stood up, and started to walk away, as n the background, she heard the conductor say, "All aboard." Knowing deep in her heart that she didn't want to let her dad go with her just walking away, she turned around, and ran back for her father. He smiled, and bent down to catch her in his arms. As he wrapped his arms around her one last time, he, himself found tears falling from his eyes, though he wouldn't let her see them.
"Eve I only have a moment, but this is for you." He said, as he handed her a small box. As she ripped the paper off and opened the box, she saw a silver locket on a piece of blue felt. He bend down, took it out of the box, and quickly put it around her neck. As he kissed her on the head, he picked up his bag, gave a quick kiss to his wife, and ran on board the train. He quickly took a window seat, and put the window down as the train blew its horn, and began to move. Evelyn ran to keep up with it, as he put his hand out the window, and she reached to grab it.
"Just remember, Eve, we're each others North Star. Just look up and you'll find me." And with that the train left the station with her still standing there. Her mother came over to her, and wrapped her arms around Evelyn to take her home, but Evelyn just stood there, silent, waiting and hoping that the train would come back with her father on it, but after a half hour of waiting, she realized that he wasn't coming back. She turned around slowly, and allowed her mother to guide her to the car. Her hero had left her and she never felt so alone in the world.
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