Little Wolf - Derek Hale

11

Derek stood at the threshold of Vivian's home, his heart heavy with both anticipation and apprehension. He hesitated for a moment before Vivian welcomed him in, leading him to the living room where Alexis sat on the couch, her gaze piercing and wary.

"Hi Lexi," Derek greeted her, his voice steady but tinged with nervousness.

Alexis's eyes bore into him "is this him? Is this my father" she asked. Her mother gave her a nod. Lexi's expression unreadable for a moment before she exploded. "Derek!" she screamed, her voice breaking with raw emotion. "Where the hell have you been?"

Derek recoiled at the force of her words, his heart sinking as he realized the depth of her pain. "I'm sorry, Lexi," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know I've let you down."

Tears streamed down Alexis's face as years of pent-up anger and hurt spilled out. "You do not call me Lexi! You left us, Derek! You abandoned Mom and me without a second thought. Do you have any idea what that did to us? I was six. And I saw this girl with a man who looked like my dad... who should have taught me how to mix paint... who should have called me a princess. I never had a version of you that was real. And I waited for you to tell me that you loved me. I waited for you for years. But you didn't come."

 "In my experience, fathers cause pain. Whether by their presence or their absence, there's a certain type of ruin that only a father can... can leave behind. I never wanted to make my child feel broken." Derek ran his hand through his hair.

Derek's throat tightened as he struggled to find the right words, his own eyes welling up with tears. "I never meant to hurt you, Lexi," he choked out, his voice breaking. "I was lost. fiften, and I made so many mistakes."

But Alexis was not appeased by his words. "Do not call me Lexi! And oh please, Mistakes?" she spat, her voice dripping with bitterness. "You missed birthdays, graduations, every important moment of my life. And now you waltz back in here like nothing ever happened?"

Derek hung his head, unable to meet her accusing gaze. "I know I can never make up for all the time I've lost," he whispered, his voice heavy with regret. "But I want to try, Alexis. I want to be a part of your life."

Alexis shook her head in disbelief, her anger mingling with a sense of betrayal. "How can I trust you, Derek?" she demanded, her voice raw with emotion. "How can I ever believe that you won't just disappear again?"

Derek reached out a trembling hand, desperate to bridge the distance between them. "I understand if you can't forgive me, Alexis," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "But please, give me a chance to show you that I've changed."

Alexis's shoulders shook with sobs as she grappled with her conflicting emotions. For a long moment, there was only the sound of her ragged breathing and the weight of their shared pain hanging heavy in the air.

Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen but filled with a glimmer of something like hope. "I don't know if I can forgive you, Derek," she said, her voice barely a whisper. When his words from before hit her like a truck. "You-you really think I'm broken? Maybe you're right. Maybe that little girl you wish you met so much would be better off if she'd never loved you at all." 

Alexis stormed off to her room her mother following close behind her. The young girl slammed the door in her mothers face and cried in a corner. Vivian placed her hand on the door then walked back towards derek. 

"I think it's time you go." Vivian said putting her hand on Derek's shoulder.

"Yea, I know." Derek turned to leave and opened the door. "I know you don't owe me any favors...but please. Talk to her?" Derek's sad and broken eyes met Vivian's. She gave him a slight nod before he left.

---

Derek left Vivian's house feeling like a shattered mess. Alexis's words echoed in his head, stabbing him with guilt. He realized the pain he'd caused her, leaving a wound that might never heal.

Driving back home, Derek couldn't shake the heaviness in his chest. He knew he had to face his past, but he had no idea where to start. The memories of his own father's absence gnawed at him, making him feel even more lost.

As he entered his empty house, Derek felt the weight of his failures crush him. He wanted to make things right, but he didn't know how. All he could do was hope that somehow, someday, he'd find a way to mend what he'd broken. He had to.