Father: A Sanders Sides Story

Prologue

A funeral is never pretty. Tears, howls of despair, handshakes and murmurs of fake sympathy. Funny thing, death. It divides and unites people at the same time. Most times, people don't really care about you when you're alive. People don't see your pain—physical and emotional—and they don't feel the need to pay attention. And when death comes, that's when people come and regret. "I should have done this," or "I should have done that." Suddenly, people started to pay attention. Not out of care or sympathy, but out of remorse.

Dante Fulgencio was a good man. His children didn't realize this until it was almost too late. Almost. His two sons had done something just before he passed and he died a happy man. Sure, he wasn't the best father. Dante himself knew this, but he still tried his best to be the best support to his children.

Logan stood over his father's grave. He was usually a man of thought and knowledge. That moment, though, Logan didn't know what to think. It was a hot, sunny day. It was bright and the trees danced in the blowing wind, leaves rustling, making a peaceful atmosphere. Logan felt anything but peaceful. He felt so helpless. When his father was diagnosed with cancer, Logan had been concerned. Well, who wouldn't? He wanted to help as much as he could, but you can't negotiate with cancer. Dante passed away five months later. A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. Of course, how could he have forgotten that his brother was mourning, too?

"Do you think we did enough for him?"

Logan thought about the question for a moment. 'Did we?'

"We... We did our best, Virgil."

Virgil nodded. His eyes were starting to water again. He felt guilt and remorse. He should have done more for his dad. He should have seen that his dad was trying his best, but now it was too late to tell his dad how much he meant for Virgil. 'I'll miss you, dad.' A single tear fell as he blinked. Then another and another and another. He couldn't stop thinking how he can no longer make his dad proud, how he can't tell his dad that he was enough for Logan and him. He could only think how he had failed his dad.

Dante Fulgencio was a good man. Not as good a father, but he did his best. And, he was loved.

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Logan drove away, the cemetery becoming smaller and smaller in the distance. Then, it was out of sight. He sighed heavily, leaning back on the driving seat as much as he could. He spared a brief glance at his brother, who was looking out the car window, seemingly deep in thought. 'At least I still have Virgil.' The Fulgencio brothers were similar in the way that they thought. They thought more realistically than most people. They would think of all possible outcomes of their actions and all possible consequences. They were different in the way that they processed their thoughts. Logan was somewhat more rational and reasonable, always thinking in a 'cause and effect' line. For Virgil, thinking was a bit of a dangerous habit. He was almost always pessimistic, looking at the darker side of things. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it would sometimes tire him and his brother out.

"Virgil," Logan brought Virgil back from whatever thoughts he was having. "Do you need anything? You can talk to me if you need to."

"I'm... okay, I'm not fine, but I think I'll be alright."

"Alright then." Silence followed Logan's words. Neither of them were up to talking, but Logan knew if Virgil were to be left alone with his thoughts, it would not end well for him. "Virgil, do you remember the video that we made for fath—dad, I meant dad. Do you remember?"

Virgil looked up at his older brother from his hunched position on the passenger seat. He remembered the video. It was his idea to make the video for their dad. He almost forgot about the video with all the mess that happened in the past week, but yes, he remembered. "Yeah?"

"He liked the video, Virgil." Logan said, still focused on the road.

Virgil looked back outside. Maybe he did manage to make his dad proud. Even if it was only once.