Author's Note: First of all I'm Italian and my english isn't very good, of course I claim to not own the characters, nor would I dream to. I just want to share with you this story that before today was tropped in my immagination and wish really you'd enjoy it.
Josh continued to stare at one of the skeletons. "So there's not just rock in caves" he thought to himself. He never saw a skeleton like that, he stood up looking around him and when he looked at his father spotted him in a strange position, he was leaning on the tank with his back, arms crossed staring right at him, his look was unusual, relaxed, calm, Josh was surprised again to see his father everything but an agitated mood, his eyes that were almost always wide open and fidgety this time were the opposite.
"What are you thinking? What's up?" Josh asked him. Frank gave him a smirk. "I'm somehow amazed. I never took part on your life, I never took any action or witnessed almost everything about your life and now look at you... Side by side with me in this adventure and you became a man, you're not a kid anymore, you're a grown up, somewhere in this cave, your innocence... Just... Eclipsed." Josh were not shocked by his father story, but he was sure surprised and a bit caught off guard.
"You're quite a curious person when you think about me" Josh sad in a serious tone.
"Come here." Frank get up on the tank and reached his hand towards Josh, his son hold his hand firmly, Frank laid on the tank opened his arms inviting his son to lay beside him, smiling, with another unusual begging look and without saying anything. Josh waited a few seconds before joining his father laying his head on his chest, Josh wasn't exactly happy to be embraced again by his old man, but to accept his request was also a way to develope an approach, a chance to get close to him not fisically, but something that would do good on their relationship. He sorrounded his father neck looking at him.
"You're my hero" Josh said, with a tone of pride, looking with his eyes half closed at his father's.
"You're serious?! What did I do?" Frank was the one surprised this time.
"It's what you do, you carry people on your shoulders, you carried me this time, you teached me more things in a few days than anyone could ever teach me in a lifetime, or at least as meaningful, you are like, an Hercules of this age." Frank was dumbfounded, he couldn't believe a ward he son was saying.
"Josh! You're exaggerating! I'm a human bing. But thank you". Frank agitated his head, laughing.
"It's true" Josh said seriously.
"I don't think I deserve to hear what you said. But Josh..." Frank stopped his voice trailed off, his eyes this time were saying he was gloomy and sorrowful. "What?" Josh asked, impatient of what Frank wanted to tell him, Josh wanted him to say it no less. Frank sat with his back erected putting his hand around his son's neck.
"I love you. If you can believe it, I want you to, 'cause you never had no one say it to you, Josh please understand that I didn't love the caves more than you, it doesn't mean you're not the most precious thing that I have. And Josh, believe me when I say that I'm so proud of you. My boy" Frank shook a bit Josh's neck smiling.
"You have a big heart, you just never show it." With those word, Josh rapidly hugged his father laying his head on the man's shoulder. Frank returned the hug istantly.
"You are my boy, just don't believe you represent nothing less than this places. And believe that I will be forever glad to have been next to you in this experience." Frank repeated himself, so eager to show his son something he thought both they needed.
"I believe that as much as you, I can assure you."
And after that, father and son lasted in an long embrace that endured for a long time. Frank's words were long dreamed and longed by Josh, he felt remorse for being neglected and ignored all these years, he looked up the the huge hole wathing the sky, he felt like he was reborn, that after this experience nothing will never be the same, now that he knew his fother, deeply, wholeheartedly, loved him.