'Naruto' and 'Naruto Shippuden' are the property of Misashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo

MetaMirage: It's been a long time. Not sure how I'm feeling about updating. Read and review if you want more.

MAD

(Mutually Assured Destruction)

Chapter 5: Returned Soldier

...

Sakura

...

"So… this is your family."

I can't stop staring at Sasuke's father. He must think I'm impossibly rude but I feel like I'm having an outer body experience. This man, according to Sasuke, has been dead for almost two decades.

Sasuke only looks a little like him, it's all in the expression, the stern dismissal, the utter indifference. Despite the smile on my father in laws face, I can plainly see how it will never truly reach his eyes. I'm lost for words and right on edge.

"This must be my lovely granddaughter."

Immediately passing over us to study Mai, there is a disconcerting thread attached to Fugaku's quiet wonder. I don't like the slight frown on his face and shield Mai instinctually. Her 'grandfather' is almost sizing her up, finding another ghost in the room beside himself.

"She's a dead ringer for Mikoto," he mutters, stunned.

Sasuke's mother. Sasuke himself has made the comparison dozens of times. Despite this Sasuke shakes his head nonchalant, disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing. "Mai is more like Sakura than anything else," he argues.

Fugaku is shaken out of his stupor and casts his attention over me. I'd be shrinking away if it wasn't for Mai at my side. I feel the unsettling need to defend her and stand tall.

"And this must be your beautiful wife." Fugaku starts talking very slowly, as if I can't understand a word he is saying. "Nice to see you exist."

I bow my head slowly. Secrecy has been killing me over the past year, it needs to be nothing but truth from now on. This situation is beyond bizarre and I'm not throwing my daughter at its beating centre. I decide to speak plainly. "I won't be his wife for much longer. We're getting divorced."

His face seems stuck for a moment, teeth bared like a dog before he darkens. He rounds on Sasuke. "You must think I'm an idiot."

Sasuke faces away from him. Did he honestly not tell his father we weren't together anymore? What possible reasoning led him to that lie? I'm beyond shocked.

"I asked why you weren't living together." There is bite to his tone. "You lied straight to my face."

He shakes his head, now unable to even look at Sasuke. "You have to forgive my son," Fugaku passes between my mother and me. It's disturbing how normal sounding his tone has become after chewing Sasuke out moments ago. He continues his delayed speech, slowing down even further. "He was a hopeless case growing up. I'm sorry you've had to endure him all these years."

Sasuke sends a withering look to my mother of all people. He is waiting for her to jump in and deliver her piece. Since we were kids he has believed my parents hated him, taking any advice they had for him as criticism and immediately walling them out. He is trapped in limbo when she refuses to humour Fugaku with a reply. Bracing yourself for a blow that will never be delivered must be exhausting.

"He's always been very secretive and sneaky," Fugaku continues. If I didn't know any better I would guess him starved for our approval. "He got that from his mother-"

"Thankfully he hasn't taken anything from you then," my mother interjects, folding her arms smugly. She continues with her sickly sweet, condescending tone. "Or he'd be a repellent alcoholic and a bottom feeder of society. Of course, passing on your influence involves actually raising the child."

My mother's silver tongue cannot be stopped! Directly into the seething rage of Fugaku I make a hand waving gesture and laugh nervously. I need to do something before he gets his bearings. A fight is going to break out between the two of them, I know it.

"I'm so sorry! I have- uh… an awful headache! Mum you have tablets in your bag, right?" I grip her arm nervously, gesturing to our things by the door. "Will you excuse us for a moment?"

I pick up Mai and take my mother by the wrist. I huff at how small Sasuke's apartment is when the furthest point away is the kitchen. We cram by the fridge and Mai pulls at a magnet while I whisper low. "Mum you can't say that."

"I can say what I want," she fires back. "Do you know how insane this situation is?"

I exhale as she continues on angrily. "I'm trading insults with a corpse. That man was supposed to be dead."

I bite my lip. "Sasuke said he was."

She pinches the bridge of her nose in exasperation. I can see how hard she's struggling to censor her words. She settles on, "Words are cheap."

I look back to see Sasuke and his father arguing. Well more specifically, Fugaku bending his son's ear. Sasuke isn't rising to any of his insults and I'm surprised. In all the years I've known him he has never allowed anyone to talk down to him without retaliation. Sasuke must have about as much insight as we do. I place Mai down when she fusses and roll my eyes when Sasuke announces he's going for a smoke. Great. We're on our own then. He would disappear for hours on end 'for a quick smoke' when we were still living together. He once took a 'short walk' that lasted for three days. When he can't handle something he escapes.

I am worried we are trapped before Fugaku gets a phone call. I almost sigh in relief.

"We should just go," my mother decides. She's right. We met Mai's grandfather and that's it. Somehow though, I'm torn between staying. I can't logically determine why but the overbearing sense of purpose roots me to the spot.

I swear my mother is psychic. She takes Mai by the hand. "How about we go get something to eat. There's a vending machine at the end of the street right? We can decide if we want to come back inside from there."

I nod in agreement and follow them out the door.

The cloud of smoke that greets us outside may as well be shaped into a fist. Shocked, I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. Sasuke is sitting on the stairs outside his apartment and not eight streets away by now. Blinking in confusion I slowly get a grip.

I've been feeling like I need to stay... but only because of Sasuke. We need to talk.

Gesturing my plans to my mother earns me a trying look but she takes Mai regardless. Mai points at Sasuke, indicating she wants him but we both shake our heads until she retires with a pout.

I take a deep breath and stand behind Sasuke. He almost looks boyish from the back. With his height compacted and his messy hair. Maybe I'm so used to being ignored by him it actually makes me nostalgic. How upsetting.

"Sasuke?"

He jumps a little. He must be really messed up not to notice me. Ordinarily he's insanely perceptive. He only looks at me for a moment before searching around my knees. Finding nothing makes him panic.

"Fuck Sakura," he immediately stubs out his cigarette and stands abruptly. "Don't leave him alone with Mai."

He's talking about his father and I'm privy to the fact he didn't trust the way he was sizing her up either. It's a relief in a way. I wasn't just imagining the worrying fixation Fugaku took with her appearance.

"My mother took Mai with her. They're getting food."

He relaxes enough to sit back on the step but his shoulders hunch. For someone that is normally poised, the slacking posture is disarming. I sit next to him under great duress and try to sift through muddled thoughts.

When my mind does settle it is practically atomic. "You told me your father was dead."

Both of Sasuke's parents are dead. It's the second most concrete fact I had about Sasuke growing up, the first being I was madly in love with him.

He lights another cigarette. I watch him snap the lighter in his fingers irritably. He used to do that all the time when we started dating. He doesn't feel he owes me an explanation but after being lied to I beg to differ. I repeat the question, earning a hissed exhale as smoke rushes from his lips.

He finally relents bitterly, "I thought he was dead."

Sadly, I am convinced he is telling the truth. Sasuke's home life was complicated when he was little. He spent more time in domestic abuse shelters than any child should. One of the few conversations I had with Itachi before he died centred on Fugaku. Itachi was glad he was gone. Was he also under the impression he was dead? Or had he lied to spare Sasuke? What was so horrible that it was better to think of a parent as deceased? If my mind is a torrent of questions, Sasuke's should be infinitely worse.

"Then why is he here?" I push. "Why now?"

Sasuke has cast me as his interrogator again. Even when we were happy together he relented nothing willingly. I felt like I was having conversations with myself half the time.

"You don't owe him anything Sasuke," I say softly.

He bows his head slowly; his back is so tense I feel like he's going to buckle at any moment. "He's dying Sakura. He's really sick."

My eyes squeeze shut. Well, that explains Sasuke's attitude earlier. He was being unusually placid. I can't help but feel bad for him and I fight the urge to voice that. There is a looming, pressing matter. One I need an immediate answer for. "How is he dying?"

Sasuke turns away from me and starts flicking his lighter again. The incessant clicking is mind numbing. It signals white noise. That he is done talking but I keep pushing.

"Is it Cancer? Is it Osteosarcoma like Itachi?"

He frowns angrily. Yes Sasuke, I have dared to mention your brother. He looks like he wants to push me down the stairs and jump on my neck until it breaks. It's chilling that he has this much anger inside of him.

I would face him down a hundred thousand times to get the answer. "I need to know for Mai Sasuke. If she's at risk-

"It's not Osteosarcoma." He manages to make each syllable threatening. "Leave me alone."

He runs his fingers through his hair and I notice the bandages on his hands. He's hurt and instinctually I take his hands in mine to inspect.

"Oh! What happened to your hands?"

He pulls back as if burned and I'm worried I've hurt him. He glares at me and I realise he's more upset I touched him.

"Fuck Sakura!" When he stands he towers over me. I can't tell if he's trying to be intimidating because he just is. He is seething. "What're you doing?"

I shrink back in confusion. "What do you mean?"

I was only trying to help.

"What're you doing here." He points to the steps. "Stop acting like you care."

Acting? Sasuke and I have our differences but I'm not inhumane. I don't want him, or anybody for that matter, to suffer. Despite how colourfully he has tarred me I'm not a monster. "You asked me to come over!" I fire back.

"So my Father could meet his granddaughter! That's all. I didn't ask you to come in. To stay."

He's twisting things again. He said nothing about dropping Mai off! I turn on heel swiftly. I didn't ask for this bizarre situation, why should I weather it? I'm reminded just how difficult he has always made himself to be around.

I hate myself for caving in and stopping. Sasuke has turned his back on me so many times. Why can't I shut him down too? I stand awkwardly like the fool I am, fumbling with my fingers. I finally decide on a curt, "I'm sorry about your father."

Offering condolence is the right thing to do. It's the person I am. The statement hangs before he starts clicking his lighter. Incessant and never-ending.

"Thank you for coming with me mum."

We are both curled up on my couch. My mother gives me a warm smile, pressing her head against one of the cushions. I would be nothing without her love and support. "I think we should try something easier next time," she suggests. "How about marching on hell?"

I can't help but laugh as I push my hair from my face. I still feel flustered. Arguments do that to me. "I'll call you when it freezes over."

She smiles but I watch her sit forward intently. She's about to ask me something serious. "How did your talk go?"

I tried to figure out her angle. She must know it didn't end well when I dragged her away from the vending machine and demanded to go home. I sigh. "I don't think Sasuke knew his dad was alive."

I feel insane but it's what I genuinely believe. As bizarre as the scenario is… I know Sasuke. If he knew his father was alive he would have tried to find him. He wasn't pretending to grieve…

"That doesn't surprise me," my mother says evenly. "They were a… strange family. They caused a lot of problems for the street."

I curled my hands over my stomach. I met Sasuke and Naruto the first year we moved to Japan, in fact they both lived in my street. I was only six so I don't remember much but it's funny how we still have connections even now.

"You can see why your father and I weren't exactly thrilled when you bought Sasuke home for the first time," my mother confessed. She is pressing her mouth in a tight smile, it might be a grimace. "His father had a reputation for being a violent drunk and that brother of his… he was thug. The police were always hunting for him. We just wanted to protect you…"

Oh… I had known my parents weren't 'thrilled' as my mother so diplomatically puts it. Their disapproval of Sasuke turned me into a completely different person. I started lying about where I was going, sneaking out of the house and I got in some just awful fights with them. I would have done anything to keep seeing him. I thought they were trying to tear us apart to be cruel. That they didn't take my love seriously.

"I'm sorry I put you both through that," I murmured.

Now, I can understand it all. My parents were just trying to protect me from a situation that was out of my depth. I don't know if becoming a mother myself is what made me realise it… or breaking things off with Sasuke finally gave me clarity… or maybe I have just become wiser with age. Sasuke and I were in a destructive relationship from day one. I can admit that now.

"No honey…" my mother takes my hand in hers. They are soft but worn. "We knew you truly loved him. We can't choose who we fall in love with. You didn't make us suffer through anything. Not intentionally."

I squeezed her hand. "But you hated him…"

She shakes her head softly. "We never hated him. We wanted to treat him like a son. We were proud to see how much he shook off his past. He has his problems but we could see… he loved you enough to try and leave them behind. I'm just sorry it couldn't work out…"

We both hug each other after that. I can't help but cry a little as well. My mother strokes my hair like I'm a little girl again.

"I'm glad we can speak so honestly now," she admits and gives me a tighter squeeze.

I break away and nod, rubbing my eyes. As a teenager I would have started screaming at her… heck a year ago I probably would have walked away and ignored her for weeks. "Me too. I'm sorry… I had some growing up to do."

She smiles at me, offering her usual sage advice. "It doesn't matter how long you take, just that you get there in the end."

I laugh. "You sound like a cheesy travel ad or something."

She sticks her tongue out at me and pouts.

"We are going to be late to the supermarket. Are you dressed Mai?"

I hear Mai loitering in the hall. She's been playing up all morning. It can't have been the excitement last night because she was home and in bed at her usual time. When I stand in the doorway I almost sigh. Her shoes are still neatly pressed against the step and not on her feet. She hasn't listened to me again. I get down to her level and she gives me a sideway glance. I brush her dark hair back. She can't possibly be tired, why is she behaving like this?

"I'm not going to ask you again Mai," I caution sternly. "Put on your shoes. This is your last warning."

As only a three year old can manage, she giggles at nothing. "No!"

'No' is her new favourite word. Well I am having none of it.

"Mai look at me." She refuses at first but when I finally get her eye contact I speak clearly. "I am taking an ear away from your chart."

"No!" This time her disapproval is merited. I have laminated a photograph of her and stuck it to the fridge. When she is proven to be a 'good listener' she gets to stick a cartoon ear on the picture. When she gets three (one for every year of her life), she can pick a treasure from the treasure box I've made for her. However, if she refuses to listen, I take one away. Normally, she's quiet the entrepreneur but we seem to have hit a rough patch.

"You are not being a good listener. That is why you are losing an ear from your chart."

I take away one of the cat ears. The elephant one is her favourite, I'm not looking to start a war.

Watching her teary eyed, I expect her to cry. She swallows it down and I almost shiver. She glares at me and she looks so much like Sasuke it hurts. It's probably all in the eyes but for a micro-second I'm convinced she has his cold temperament.

"It is time to go to the shops," I remind her. "Put on your shoes."

After the earlier incident, we have a good trip together. Mai eagerly helps me pick our groceries, pay the cashier and unload everything when we get back home. I praise her for being a good listener while we were out and reward her. Gleefully, she adds the ear that was lost in the morning back to the chart.

When she holds up two fingers and says 'two ears now' I cheer and applaud her.

I hate when my house is quiet. When I was pregnant and Sasuke was being difficult I would put the television on full blast and work at my computer in the study. I loved not watching sitcoms with laugh reels. The happy cheering and clapping always filled my house with warmth. I loved the idea of a room's full of people having fun just down the hall.

It's two in the morning and dead silent. My ears are trained to each tiny sound, every scrape, slow creak and gentle thud. My phone is glued to my hand. All the numbers run through my head, Naruto's and my mothers in particular but I know I should call the police.

I noticed someone loitering around my house close to eleven. They stayed just left of the streetlight but I could still see their shadowy outline. It stayed, directly facing my house for hours. Now when I look out it is gone but the noises have started. First, it was scratches at my back door as if some sad, injured animal needed my help and then rattling at my bedroom window. I wasn't lured and thank god Mai is at my mother's tonight. I've turned out every light and been dead quiet. Hopefully they move on.

I drop my phone when it begins to vibrate and curse the screeching ring tone. An unknown number flashes on the screen. As soon as I cancel it, the same number rings again. After the fourth call I turn off my mobile with shaking hands and move to grab the landline. There is a heavy knock at the door and there is a fire within me.

"Leave me alone or I'll call the police!"

...

Sasuke

...

I had one cigarette left and now it's missing. I toss the empty box back in the glove compartment irritably. I can see smoke coming from my apartment window. It's messed up to even imagine anyone else in there, let alone him. I close my eyes, taking in the nothingness. Accepting it again.

My headache throbs as I start the car up again. What was I honestly expecting? Of course, my father would steal from me. I remember him punching my mother in the face when she tried to stop him taking money from Itachi's wallet once. She curled up on the floor sobbing and he just stepped over her to stumble out and buy more alcohol.

My father was always such a selfish bastard. I drive away.

"Don't you think you should go back?"

I hold on to the punching bag to steady it. I decide not to go with the motions and force it into place.

"I'm really busy."

Naruto stops kicking to deliver me an incredulous look. "Aren't you the least bit curious? He disappeared from your life… pretended to be dead. He owes you an explanation."

My father is no better than an unwanted squatter. I have nothing to say to him. I don't have time for this bullshit.

"I don't want anything to do with him."

I'm itching to swap places and for once Naruto is accommodating. He stands to hold the bag. "That's a lie."

My teeth grind together, suddenly my body is full of tension.

"Otherwise you wouldn't have let him stay with you."

Suddenly, I feel panicked. I kick the bag so hard he shuts up after that. I clear my mind and focus on my stance, punches and kicks. I can't deal with all this right now. I actually feel relieved when blood steeps through my wrapped hands and we have to stop. I've opened the cuts on my knuckles again.

Pain distracts pain. It keeps you sharp. There are bigger troubles in my life and if I don't act now they will consume me.

I storm through the club to the back room. I practically knock Kabuto over at the door.

"Sasuke," Orochimaru greets evenly. I pull up a chair across from him, scraping his desk in the process.

"I'm giving you an opportunity to be honest with me."

"Are you?" He doesn't tear his gaze away from the chart in front of him. "How generous of you."

His lack of focus is irritating me. "What are you planning?" I announce bluntly. He tilts his head and scrawls across the chart.

"I'm always planning something Sasuke," his tone is drawling. "You have to be more specific."

He knows exactly want I'm referring to. I rub my aching knuckles irritably. I want to know exactly how much his silence is going to cost me.

"Don't play dumb."

With a sigh I finally have his full attention. "Sasuke you're a smart boy-"

"Man," I correct. He hand waves my interruption.

"Fine, you're a smart man. Although your violent streak is somewhat unfortunate. So, let's talk hard fact." He points to the charts and he indicates the graph for our revenue. "We're not making anywhere near enough money on weekdays."

Our sales are dismal. "I already knew that."

"Then what do you propose?"

I dip my head. We've been having the same conversation for months. I shrug. "Live music."

He presses his mouth into a thin line. "Back here again are we. Or don't you remember the open auditions we held? You made that poor guitarist cry. Twice."

I grit my teeth. "That's because all the bands sucked."

He agrees with me before opening his arms theatrically. "So, it's time for a new proposal and my own personal brain child. We need to build up a loyal clientele base, one that will pay on weekends and I have the perfect solution. In fact, it's downright genius."

When he looks back to his charts and ignores me I hiss. "And?"

"And you will know all the details when the time is right." When he makes a shooing motion I grind my teeth and move on. Fuck him and his stupid plan. Fucking bastard.

"You're not rostered for today."

I reply coolly, "Hello to you too, Kabuto."

He all but stomps away to report to Orochimaru like the minion he is. He's clearly not pleased when he comes back out front. I start sneering. Orochimaru told him to leave it. Not to bother him with such trivial complaints. We start cleaning the glasses, getting ready to pack up.

Kabuto grumbles. "You've been in a lot more than normal. Don't you sleep?"

I ignore him but he adds bitterly under his breath. "Don't you have a home?"

Not now that it's been invaded. His bad mood is beginning to get on my nerves.

"You're going to screw up our budget for the month," he says plainly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose matter-of-fact. "All these extra hours are going to eat into our profits."

That's it. I've had enough. I shrug. "Orochimaru will just take hours from you to balance it out."

He pales. I can see his eyes dilate in panic. I can't help but smirk as he disappears into the office again, shutting the door behind him. He knows it's possible. Orochimaru has always favoured me over him and his jealousy is pathetic and annoying.

I look out over the empty club. I focus on working to avoid the deafening silence.

It really is like living with a poltergeist. My plates have been shifted around and there are bottles of alcohol strewn all over the counter. I curse under my breath, if I had noticed them earlier I would have tipped them down the sink.

"Mai, time to go."

I don't want my daughter in this type of environment.

"No!"

I stop going through the kitchen to peer at her in the living room. She is flopped on the floor, arms folded and shoes off. She's been saying 'no' a lot lately. It's become a game to her.

"You love the park," I remind.

"No!" she answers firmly before giggling. She starts rolling on the floor in defiance and normally I'd just give up and ignore her. After a while she stops or gets bored. I'm not sure when my father is going to be back. I don't want him near my daughter. At least Sakura and I can both agree on that.

"Don't you want to see the ducks?"

"No! No! No!"

She kicks me when I try to put her shoes on. "Cut it out."

"No!" she repeats, when she kicks my again I am forced to be tough on her. I hold my hand out in a stop motion.

"Please, don't kick me," I say carefully.

She slaps at my hand and starts laughing again. I don't want to upset her. We don't get much time together and I want her to like me.

When she decides to start climbing all over me I grab her. That's it. We're going. Shoes be dammed. She starts screaming when I pick her up and pulls at my hair when I reach down for her shoes.

"No! No! No! No! No!"

That's all I hear when I strap her into the car. Half way there I feel like my head is going to split. I pull over and decide ice-cream will keep her quiet. When I pull up to a vending machine and buy her favourite she hits it out of my hand before I can even explain. She folds her arms, upset and peers at the ice-cream all over the floor. Great… now I have to wash the inside of the car again.

"Mai," I say evenly. "Do you want another ice-cream?"

She waits for the catch but looks at me, reassuring she is listening.

"If I buy you another ice-cream, you have to promise to put your shoes on when we go to the park."

I take her subsiding tantrum as acceptance and get another ice-cream. She happily accepts and eats it (quietly!) all the way to the park.

This time when I come into work unannounced Kabuto gives me his best friendly wave. I almost shiver at the oddity. A reality check must have been served as to whom invested the most money into the club to start up. Now I have to deal with him being falsely pleasant. Great.

I head out back only to have him follow me. Kabuto preoccupies himself with taking stock of the alcohol. I see straight through his sad attempt to talk to me. Orochimaru is always direct and I respect that. Kabuto on the other hand has to lie and run games. It's pathetic.

"You're quite popular with our female clients," he finally greets. I shrug him off irritably.

"Unfortunately."

"In fact, I was just talking to a group of them outside. They're waiting in line, but only so they can see you."

I've had enough. "Your point?"

"Exactly."

He scuttles off and what was that supposed to mean? He's so fucking weird. I decide on not caring and continue to set up.

Standing on the door is boring. People pay, I stamp them, they stumble inside. I watch the security prowl. We're going to be busy tonight. That's good. I know there is a problem when one of them stands behind me.

"Some old timer is standing in line."

I sigh. We have an image to uphold, a reputation to maintain. I hand him the stamp and walk down the line, ignoring a bunch of girls that start squealing. I spot the grey hair midway down.

"Not your scene grandpa. Trust me."

We make eye contact in the crowd. He looks a decent five decades older than everyone else, surly and ill. My father and I stare at each other. I refuse to look away first like I did as a child. I remember dodging him in the hall, knowing the sounds of his footsteps when he approached the kitchen, I was a master of making myself scarce.

How did he figure out where I worked? Did he follow me?

It doesn't matter. The situation is unavoidable and both of us know it. Words are not needed as he slinks out the line and follows me to the closest Izakaya. I eat here on breaks and sometimes for a smoke after work. Sitting down together is fatalist and watching as we both instinctually light a cigarette sickening. I don't want to be one iota like him.

"You've been avoiding me," he decides. I can hear the threatening edge in his voice, the displeasure. It ruined me as a kid, made me afraid to even breath.

Now I feel nothing, completely detached.

He holds his hand up for two shots of saké. I watch him down one in disgust. I can't help it, knowing his circumstances. "Do you really that's a good idea?"

He drinks the other defiantly. For someone dying of liver Cirrhosis he's ignorantly cavalier. He shrugs and I am forced to remember his 'like I give a fuck' attitude.

He deserves everything. His suffering life and painful death. He knows it.

"Do you enjoy work?"

I stare at him. There is a long, sombre pause. He becomes angrier as the silence grows out between us. I watch his jaw clench with clinical fascination.

"Are you mute as well as dumb? Do you like your job?" he pushes. I shake my head in disbelief. I stub out my cigarette with a sense of closure. This son of a bitch thinks he can small talk me?

"Whatever your trying to make peace with is pointless."

My work. My daughter. My life. None of it is any of his business. None of his concern. If he thinks we are about to have a heart to heart he's more delusional than I suspected.

"I don't need to make peace with anything boy," he says low, dangerous. "Least off all you."

He is fuming and I'm feeling nothing. His angry reaction is unwarranted, something he isn't entitled to. He abandoned his entire family. My mother died without him. Itachi died without him. I will die without him.

He growls. "I'm your father. You're treating me like a stranger. I don't feel welcome in your home and you owe me that. I raised you."

I stand up and shrug. He is my father, but that's it. "You are my father. So, you can stay with me until the hospital." I roll my head back. "But we don't owe each other anything. Don't expect me to be at your funeral. Don't expect my daughter to shed a single tear over you."

His smile is more like a grimace, sick amusement ghosting his expression. I have a sense of duty, nothing more. Blood means nothing. Not too him. How is he so involved? Why is he trying to make sense out of this? To connect? It's already done. He made his decisions. He chose to abandon me long ago.

He shouts after me as I walk away.