He didn’t put the gun down right away. He didn’t move at all. What do you do when your little girl finds you with a revolver to your head?

“What are you doing, Daddy?” came that innocent voice again.

“Oh, sweetie.” he said, slowly lowering the gun. “Nothing.”

“Why are you sad?”

Cooper didn’t know how to respond. How do you explain a thing like that to a kid?

“It’s nothing, Lexxie.” he said, emptying the gun and setting it on the table. “You want some ice cream?”

Wiped a tear.

He turned just in time to see her eyes light up, the late night sleep erased by sudden excitement. “Really!?” she yelped.

Cooper smiled. Something he didn’t do often anymore. “Sure, Lexxie. Come on.”

He put the bullets back into the ammo box and holstered his empty pistol. Lexxie was waiting impatiently in front of him now, taking involuntary glances at the refrigerator.

Lexxie smiled broadly as she took her first bite.

Cooper smiled, glad his daughter could still smile. Glad she didn’t know what he had done.