Half naked and desperate, the child climbed the thin bars of the door, her cage, staring at the world outside. Her right leg crooked over the horizontal bar as she tilted her body, dark eyes staring longingly at the world.

"Get down from there!" her father snapped angrily. "You're gonna hurt yourself."

"When can I go out, Daddy?" she asked, turning to look at him imploringly. "I want to go out! You never let me do anything."

"You don't want to go out there, babygirl," the man said gruffly. "It's a dangerous world. There are mean people out there that would hurt you." He lumbered over to her, reaching out with ham-sized hands and gently letting her down. Turning the girl, he squatted and stared into her eyes. "I love you," he said. "All I want to do is protect you, Lis."

"Okay Daddy." She hugged him tightly and he held her, brushing his thick fingers through her hair as he closed his eyes, thinking about her older brother and mother. God, did he miss them.