Parker

Chapter 74

"I want to go to bed." The emotionally drained boy said as he buried his face in his father's shoulder.

"Okay." Rodger said.

Parker pulled away from him and looked in his father's eyes. "Can you sit with me for awhile."

"Of course." He rubbed his back as they walked to the bed. Parker crawled into bed and collapsed.

"Do you want to watch tv?" Rodger said as he picked up the remote.

"Yeah."  Parker replied softly.

"What do you want to watch?" He asked having no idea what was on television this late at night. Besides news which he doubted Parker wanted to watch.

"Don't care." Parker said.

Rodger sat on the bed and Parker cuddled next to him to his surprise. He had not done that since he was eleven. He began to rub the top of his head. A smile crossed his face.

Rodger flipped through the channels stopping until he found a show that he recognized. "How about Seinfeld."

"That's fine." Parker said.

Rodger continued to rub the top of his head and look of contentment crossed the sixteen year old's face. "Your mom and I use to watch this all the time while we were dating."

"Mom didn't call me." Parker said.

"What?"

"Mom didn't call." Parker repeated. "She said that she would call me tonight but didn't."  Rodger could hear the hurt in his voice. "She forgot about me again."

He then sniffed.

"I'm sorry buddy."

"It's alright." He said with disappointment in his voice. Dammit Linda how could you let him down again. "I'm use to it."

"I'm sure she meant to..."

"Please don't."  Parker said cutting him off.

"Okay I won't." Rodger said. "Do you want me to call her."

"No." He answered. "I don't want to hear her excuses."

I guess you are he sighed heavily.

Parker then laughed at something on the screen and they fell silent. Rodger found himself silently cursing his ex and that she was once again hurt their son.

She needs to stop hurting he thought in frustration. And so do I.

"Nahum really likes this show." Parker said referring to his eighteen cousin through his dad. "He makes Tiktoks acting out scenes from it.

"Really." Rodger said with an amused grin. "That's funny considering how much your uncle Elmer hated Seinfeld."

"He likes Nahum's videos though." Parker told him. "He and Aunt Loretta made an account so they could watch them." Because that is what parents who give a damn do he thought. They take interest in your hobbies, they don't forget to call you when they promise you that they will.  "Uncle Elmer played George's dad in one of them."

Parker then yawned.

"My brother played Frank Constanza." Rodger said in disbelief. "I have to see that."

"Can I show you tomorrow?" Parker yawned again. "I'm tired." His eyes became heavy and slowly began to close.

"That's fine." He rubbed the boy's head as he drifted off to sleep. Parker then began to gently snore.  "Good night buddy."

Rodger rubbed his head one more time and then got up turning off the TV and lights as he left.

Rodger pulled out his phone and texted his ex.  You told Parker that you were going to call him and you didn't.

I know she replied. I'm sorry.

Don't apologize to me, apologize to our son he thought.

Is he still awake.

No, he's sound asleep. Rodger replied.

I will call him tomorrow.

Please do he texted. He's having a rough time.

What is going on?

Rodger then told her about Christine's mom forbidding them to talk to each other for three months.

That's horrible Linda replied in a large letters. She can't do that to them she texted in smaller letters. That is psychological abuse.

I agree.

Have you told her that she emotionally damaging her own daughter as well as Parker.

I tried but she seems apathetic to any emotional damage she might be doing to her daughter.

What does her father say about this?

Not much Rodger replied. He moved out of the house and is staying at a hotel. But since he was not a fan of the two of then dating and hates Parker's guts he probably okst with it.

Rodger thought how if he had his way Parker would never been dating her in the first place. She probably would have had her shipped off to a convent where she would never see a boy until she was fifty.

Do you want me try to talk to her?

Rodger blinked in surprise. That he was not expecting.

Sure.

I'll call her tomorrow and have a mom to mom take with her. Linda texted. Maybe I can talk some sense into her.

Hopefully.

Just don't forget.

He then put his phone in his pocket and went into his room.