chest. It broke my heart to see a grown man cry. I had never even seen my dad cry. I held onto him tightly and just let him release all of that sadness. Taking a breath, I whispered, “Come on, Herman.”
He didn’t say anything. Just shook his head in my chest.
“Herman , I need to make some calls. Please come into the living room and I’ll make you some coffee.” Standing up, I wrapped Herman in my arms and walked him out of the bedroom. I sat him down on the couch. Sitting down next to him, I said, “I need to go tell Patrick.”
Quickly shaking his head , Herman said, “Patrick isn’t here.”
“I know he’s up in the apartment.”
“No, he left for the weekend,” Herman spit out.
“What do you mean , Herman? Where is he?”
Turning to me with unshed tears still in his eyes , Herman said, “He went to talk with your father. He wanted to try and make amends with him.”
“Are you serious?”
Dropping his head to the back of the couch , Herman closed his eyes. “Yes.” Tears rolled down his face. “This will kill him.”
Grabbing ahold of Herman’s hand, I said, “I’ll call him.” Standing up, I walked out into the kitchen and pulled my cell phone from my pocket. Scrolling to Patrick’s name, I looked down at it. I couldn’t believe that he was going to try and talk with my dad. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I took a few deep breaths and pressed dial.
***
Racing to the front door I flung it open. Relieved, I let out a breath. “Patrick.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I knew he wouldn’t be excited to see me, at least under the circumstances. I could see my parents standing behind him and I was surprised my dad had come. The last time we had talked it wasn’t really a conversation. More of a yelling and throwing punches match. Letting out a breath, I gave Patrick another squeeze and whispered, “Welcome home,” before kissing him on the side of his neck.
As I kept one hand around his shoulder , I went to grab his bag from my dad. “I’ve got it, Derrick,” my dad said with a small smile.
Giving him a small smile back , I walked Patrick into the living room where his grandpa was. Herman got up from the sofa and before he could fully extend his arms, Patrick ran into them. As he ducked his head into his grandfather’s chest, my mom placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered, “I think we should give them some room, honey.”
Not taking my eyes off of Herman and Patrick , I nodded. “Yeah.” Turning, I walked into the kitchen. As I walked over to the fridge to get myself a drink, I asked, “Do you guys want anything to drink or eat?”
“No thanks , honey, I’m good,” my mom said.
“Um, no thank you,” my dad muttered.
After I grabbed a can of soda from the fridge, I closed it. Popping the top, I lifted the soda can to my mouth and took a healthy gulp. Allowing the foam to burn my throat, I thought about why exactly my parents were here. Well, my dad, more like it. Now was not the time to start an argument.
Letting out a breath , I walked over to the dinner table where they were both sitting. As I sat down across from them, I placed my can on the table. Taking a deep breath, I placed my hands on the table in front of me. Without looking at him I asked, “Why are you here, Dad?”
“Will you look at me?” he asked timidly.
I looked into his eyes. It seemed like he was in pain. I had never seen my dad look like this before. He just looked worried and… scared.
Very carefully my dad lifted his hand up and started to place it on top of mine. The second I felt his skin, I closed my eyes. My bottom lip involuntarily started to quiver and I could feel tears forming in my eyes.
“Please open your eyes when I tell you this , Derrick,” my dad asked in a small voice.
Very carefully I opened my eyes and I was shocked to see tears forming in my dad’s eyes. As he blinked, one, two, three, four tears fell from them. Lifting his other hand to his mouth,
He didn’t say anything. Just shook his head in my chest.
“Herman , I need to make some calls. Please come into the living room and I’ll make you some coffee.” Standing up, I wrapped Herman in my arms and walked him out of the bedroom. I sat him down on the couch. Sitting down next to him, I said, “I need to go tell Patrick.”
Quickly shaking his head , Herman said, “Patrick isn’t here.”
“I know he’s up in the apartment.”
“No, he left for the weekend,” Herman spit out.
“What do you mean , Herman? Where is he?”
Turning to me with unshed tears still in his eyes , Herman said, “He went to talk with your father. He wanted to try and make amends with him.”
“Are you serious?”
Dropping his head to the back of the couch , Herman closed his eyes. “Yes.” Tears rolled down his face. “This will kill him.”
Grabbing ahold of Herman’s hand, I said, “I’ll call him.” Standing up, I walked out into the kitchen and pulled my cell phone from my pocket. Scrolling to Patrick’s name, I looked down at it. I couldn’t believe that he was going to try and talk with my dad. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I took a few deep breaths and pressed dial.
***
Racing to the front door I flung it open. Relieved, I let out a breath. “Patrick.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I knew he wouldn’t be excited to see me, at least under the circumstances. I could see my parents standing behind him and I was surprised my dad had come. The last time we had talked it wasn’t really a conversation. More of a yelling and throwing punches match. Letting out a breath, I gave Patrick another squeeze and whispered, “Welcome home,” before kissing him on the side of his neck.
As I kept one hand around his shoulder , I went to grab his bag from my dad. “I’ve got it, Derrick,” my dad said with a small smile.
Giving him a small smile back , I walked Patrick into the living room where his grandpa was. Herman got up from the sofa and before he could fully extend his arms, Patrick ran into them. As he ducked his head into his grandfather’s chest, my mom placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered, “I think we should give them some room, honey.”
Not taking my eyes off of Herman and Patrick , I nodded. “Yeah.” Turning, I walked into the kitchen. As I walked over to the fridge to get myself a drink, I asked, “Do you guys want anything to drink or eat?”
“No thanks , honey, I’m good,” my mom said.
“Um, no thank you,” my dad muttered.
After I grabbed a can of soda from the fridge, I closed it. Popping the top, I lifted the soda can to my mouth and took a healthy gulp. Allowing the foam to burn my throat, I thought about why exactly my parents were here. Well, my dad, more like it. Now was not the time to start an argument.
Letting out a breath , I walked over to the dinner table where they were both sitting. As I sat down across from them, I placed my can on the table. Taking a deep breath, I placed my hands on the table in front of me. Without looking at him I asked, “Why are you here, Dad?”
“Will you look at me?” he asked timidly.
I looked into his eyes. It seemed like he was in pain. I had never seen my dad look like this before. He just looked worried and… scared.
Very carefully my dad lifted his hand up and started to place it on top of mine. The second I felt his skin, I closed my eyes. My bottom lip involuntarily started to quiver and I could feel tears forming in my eyes.
“Please open your eyes when I tell you this , Derrick,” my dad asked in a small voice.
Very carefully I opened my eyes and I was shocked to see tears forming in my dad’s eyes. As he blinked, one, two, three, four tears fell from them. Lifting his other hand to his mouth,
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