Live Again; Chapter 4
Father-Son Time
Alex slamed the door shut behind himself, droping his book bag to the floor with a loud thud and slipping his shoes off. Getting a running start, he sild on his socks down the hall, and promptly smacked into the person rounding the corner.
Rick extended a hand down to help his son off of the floor, pulling him up into his arms for a quick hug,"Hey buddy!"
Alex rolled his eyes and brought both his hands up to remove his fathers as he ruffled his hair affectionately. "Hi dad."
Resting a hand on Alex's shoulder, he steered him into the living room,"How'd school go?"
"Fine." he informed with a heavy sigh, plopping himself down in the big chair, his feet just about touching the floor as he sat back, relaxing. It had been a long day at school, and he was thankful to be home now,"But I would have rather stayed here with you guys."
"Well maybe you can play hookie tomorrow.After all, we do have a guest all the way from America..." He suggested with a wink. His breath caught in his throat when Alex grinned, it just dawning on him how much his son had grown to look like him. He couldn't beleive that he hadn't noticed before, that he had missed so much.
"Thanks dad!"
Rick nodded in response, and a moment passed before he cleared his throat,"Alex..... I know that this past year has been hard on all of us...I just hope that I havn't disapointed you. As a father, and all...." he said quietly, running a hand back through his hair before rubbing at the nape of his neck.
Alex looked up at him in surprise. Talk of what had happened at Ahm-Shere was rare, expecailly from Rick. Being so much like his father, Alex hadn't ever expressed the need to talk about it, either, and had kept a stiff upper lip as he found ways to just move along with his life. He blinked at his father a couple times, not sure what exactly to say, then reached his arms up to wrap around him,"I love you."
"I love you too." He whispered back to his son, holding him close. After a moment of just hugging, Rick pulled back to look down at him,"She did too, you know." he said quietly, brushing a little hair off of Alex's forehead,"She loved you more then anything." When Alex forced a smile, even as his eyes began to water, Rick placed a hand under his chin and titled his head up to look at him,"It's alright to cry you know. Sometimes it's better to cry."
The nine year old nodded slowly, hanging his head to look down in his lap,"I'm scared, dad..." he whispered,"I'm scared that I'll forget her.... I don't want to forget."
"You wont forget." came the comforting words of his father,"Your mother was an amazing woman, and anyone who ever knew her will never forget her. All you have to do is want to remember. It's alright, Alex, if you can't remember every little detail. She's with us in our hearts. And that's what matters." and Rick knew that all that was true. Deep down he had always known it, but finding it through all the hurt and pain had been an almost impossible task. He realized that time healed all wounds, but first you had to let it.
Leaning in to burry his face in the crook of Rick's neck, Alex nodded again, sniffling a couple times as he blinked to try to stop the tears,"Is it okay to be mad?" he asked quietly,"Would she be disapointed in me for being mad at first, because she left us?"
"No." Rick promised, resting his head against Alex's,"Anger, just like saddness and happiness is an emotion, Alex, and I know I'm not the best person to look to for an example, but it's natural to feel like that, even if it seems irrational. She loved you and you loved her. We're a family, and that means that no matter what another thinks or feels we'll understand. Alright?"
Another nod of the head told Rick that Alex had been hearing him, and he rubbed his back softly,"I love you, Alex. You mean alot to me, you know."
"You too, dad." came the quiet whispered reasponse.
From up on the balcony over looking the living room, Danielle smiled softly. Rick was finally realizing he could live again, this family realized this loss could make them grow even stronger.
END
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think this might be the end. I was planning on another chapter or two, but it seems like there's not much more to do, and I havn't exactly been dedicated lately. I do, though, have a sequal in mind, involving much more action, past lives, and the such, so if you're interested let me know!
Father-Son Time
Alex slamed the door shut behind himself, droping his book bag to the floor with a loud thud and slipping his shoes off. Getting a running start, he sild on his socks down the hall, and promptly smacked into the person rounding the corner.
Rick extended a hand down to help his son off of the floor, pulling him up into his arms for a quick hug,"Hey buddy!"
Alex rolled his eyes and brought both his hands up to remove his fathers as he ruffled his hair affectionately. "Hi dad."
Resting a hand on Alex's shoulder, he steered him into the living room,"How'd school go?"
"Fine." he informed with a heavy sigh, plopping himself down in the big chair, his feet just about touching the floor as he sat back, relaxing. It had been a long day at school, and he was thankful to be home now,"But I would have rather stayed here with you guys."
"Well maybe you can play hookie tomorrow.After all, we do have a guest all the way from America..." He suggested with a wink. His breath caught in his throat when Alex grinned, it just dawning on him how much his son had grown to look like him. He couldn't beleive that he hadn't noticed before, that he had missed so much.
"Thanks dad!"
Rick nodded in response, and a moment passed before he cleared his throat,"Alex..... I know that this past year has been hard on all of us...I just hope that I havn't disapointed you. As a father, and all...." he said quietly, running a hand back through his hair before rubbing at the nape of his neck.
Alex looked up at him in surprise. Talk of what had happened at Ahm-Shere was rare, expecailly from Rick. Being so much like his father, Alex hadn't ever expressed the need to talk about it, either, and had kept a stiff upper lip as he found ways to just move along with his life. He blinked at his father a couple times, not sure what exactly to say, then reached his arms up to wrap around him,"I love you."
"I love you too." He whispered back to his son, holding him close. After a moment of just hugging, Rick pulled back to look down at him,"She did too, you know." he said quietly, brushing a little hair off of Alex's forehead,"She loved you more then anything." When Alex forced a smile, even as his eyes began to water, Rick placed a hand under his chin and titled his head up to look at him,"It's alright to cry you know. Sometimes it's better to cry."
The nine year old nodded slowly, hanging his head to look down in his lap,"I'm scared, dad..." he whispered,"I'm scared that I'll forget her.... I don't want to forget."
"You wont forget." came the comforting words of his father,"Your mother was an amazing woman, and anyone who ever knew her will never forget her. All you have to do is want to remember. It's alright, Alex, if you can't remember every little detail. She's with us in our hearts. And that's what matters." and Rick knew that all that was true. Deep down he had always known it, but finding it through all the hurt and pain had been an almost impossible task. He realized that time healed all wounds, but first you had to let it.
Leaning in to burry his face in the crook of Rick's neck, Alex nodded again, sniffling a couple times as he blinked to try to stop the tears,"Is it okay to be mad?" he asked quietly,"Would she be disapointed in me for being mad at first, because she left us?"
"No." Rick promised, resting his head against Alex's,"Anger, just like saddness and happiness is an emotion, Alex, and I know I'm not the best person to look to for an example, but it's natural to feel like that, even if it seems irrational. She loved you and you loved her. We're a family, and that means that no matter what another thinks or feels we'll understand. Alright?"
Another nod of the head told Rick that Alex had been hearing him, and he rubbed his back softly,"I love you, Alex. You mean alot to me, you know."
"You too, dad." came the quiet whispered reasponse.
From up on the balcony over looking the living room, Danielle smiled softly. Rick was finally realizing he could live again, this family realized this loss could make them grow even stronger.
END
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think this might be the end. I was planning on another chapter or two, but it seems like there's not much more to do, and I havn't exactly been dedicated lately. I do, though, have a sequal in mind, involving much more action, past lives, and the such, so if you're interested let me know!