7DS

Chapter 6: The X Family III (Father and Son)

Heads-up: You guys will probably notice a slight change in the way I write (type) things from now on. Let's be more professional and make it a Character POV based story telling. With third/fourth person POVs every now and then. Instead of just a dialogue based story telling standpoint. But mostly because I was stupid enough to just discover how the friggin' emphasis tools are accessed. 'Kay, I'mma stop talkin' now.

Still shocked with what his son had to say about his "apology", Ricardo makes his way to the living room to sit down and ponder. He sits down on the couch, looks at the ceiling and begins to think.

Ardy's POV
I never intended my life to end up like this. Funny how you try your best, thinking you're doing the right thing, and in the end you just regret every decision and turning point you encounter in your life. What did I ever do? Was it wrong? To leave my son like that because I knew he would be safer? To take the other because I knew he needed to learn more? Josephine... Josephine would have known what to do. She always did. She was my reassurance in my times of doubt. She motivated me when it felt like heaven and earth were on my shoulders. She was... Everything. I became lost when she died, maybe too lost. I'm beginning to think she was the person keeping the family together. After her death, we just fell apart. And now my son... I lost my son to hatred, and bereft. And envy. Arieson is all I have left, even my own father sees me as a disappointment.
I pick up my phone to call Aries. I feel like I need to say something.

Aries's POV
For some reason, as I grow older, the worse my life gets. First, my mom died. Then my dad lost himself for a while. My brother rose from the ditches, and is now out to get me. And all of a sudden, my girlfriend's cheating on me, thinking I don't know. Well, I'm not stupid enough not to know. But for her... I'll pretend to be stupid. Why am I doing this to myself?
My phone started to ring. I stopped the car and parked on the side so I don't start a train of traffic. I think my dad's calling me. I answer the phone. "Hey, dad."

"Hey, squeaks.", he says in a pale, raspy voice.

"Whoa. You don't sound so good.", I say in concern.

"Well, I uh... I just wanted to ask... Am I...", he kept stuttering, he seems hesitant to ask me whatever question he had. "Am I a...a bad dad?"

Ardy's POV
I'm trying my best to explain to Arieson what I'm actually feeling right now. I'm having a lot of trouble, I'm not that good with connecting like this to my kids. Or anyone, for that matter. "It's just... Something's been hitting me since your brother came back."

"Dad, stop emotionally killing yourself just because he's indirectly blaming you for what's happening to him. Has it ever crossed your mind that most of what happened was his choice?", Arieson was obviously just telling me this as a flipping maneuver.

"Arieson, what did I say about giving advice?"

"...."

"Arieson?", I say growlingly, waiting for his response.

Aries's POV
"Listen but don't criticize. I know."

Ardy's POV
"Uh-huh. What else?"

Aries's POV
"...White lies are the holy man's sin. I KNOW. But it's just... Truthfully, speaking. No, you're not a bad dad. You're a great dad, given by your intentions. It's just that sometimes... The course of action you decide to take FOR said intentions is pretty...shitty. It's not your fault though. You're only doing what you think is best. In Moris's- I mean... Mont's defense, the courses of action you took, being the shitty decisions they are, damaged his mentality and body. I mean, you know how he used to have a whole layer of white hair standing up, right?"