The man's heart pounded in his chest as he waited within the small diner, his eyes fixed on the approaching figures that he had longed to see and feared to face. Memories of a childhood marked by absence and abandonment resurfaced, weaving a tapestry of emotions that left him guarded and apprehensive.
This was new for him. He did not know fear, or nerves and apprehension.
He wasn't sure he liked it…
As his birth parents drew closer, his initial hope crumbled into disappointment at the telltale signs of their continued struggle with addiction. The hollowed expressions, the trembling hands, the haunted eyes—each a painful reminder of the wounds that had never fully healed.
Still? After all these years?
He has figured as much, but… actually seeing them, and knowing the truth…
Twenty years… twenty goddamn years…
For a moment, Theo wavered, torn between the desire for closure and the weight of unspoken grievances that lingered between them. With a heavy heart and a measured sigh, he allowed them to sit, the weight of their presence suffocating in its familiarity and estrangement.
He hasn't seen them since the cops raided that filthy apartment.
They had not changed much. Just looked older and more hollow.
They both seemed happy to see him, but nervous as well.
Good, they should be…
Before either could open their mouths to speak, Theo spoke first.
"I gave you the benefit of the doubt," His voice was laced with a mixture of hurt and accusation, his hazel gaze piercing through the veil of denial that shrouded his parents. "But seeing you both now… how little did I mean to you that you couldn't even try to stay sober when you got out of jail? Did I not matter enough for you to fight for? I was eight years old…"
His "mother" faltered, her voice tinged with regret as she attempted to explain, her own hazel eyes beginning to well with tears, but Theo's disappointment did not waver, his pain too deep to be assuaged by empty words and broken promises.
His "father" avoided his gaze altogether. He looked done at this point and no longer wished to continue this pointless meeting.
An inherited trait he suddenly didn't want…
"You think you're hurting, how do you think I feel?" Theo's voice was a murmur, edged with a veiled anger and measured emotion to keep his temper in check. "My life got turned upside down, I got thrown in with other kids, had to meet a lot of people in a short time… doctors, therapists, police, CPS… did either of you know i have potentially life-threatening allergies? That I was so malnourished I was stuck in a hospital for weeks with medicine and food being fed to me through a damn tube, or that I was considered retarded because I didn't know how to do jack shit? Couldn't write, could barely speak, didn't know basic shit like shapes and colors, or even my own name? Did you ask about me? Or were you too busy going through withdrawals to care? Did you even once think about me when you finally got out? Or was your first thought to go find your damn plug? I had to learn how to be a kid, I had to learn how to act around people. I had to take extra classes with specialists just so I could get caught up with other kids my age. All while going through the fucking foster care system, new parents, a brother and sister… hoping everyday that you'd show up, and you never did. Eventually, I stopped hoping. Stopped caring. I had new parents, a new family, that cared. They took care of me, were patient with me, played with me, cooked, taught me how to be a person… They dis bot have to do all thiwe things, but they did because they cared…"
The more he spoke, the more he could see pain and realization in those hollowed eyes. The more his anger built until it suddenly just…disappeared.
He was done. They did not deserve another moment of his time.
His "mother" cried silently, wiping at her eyes with a napkin and again tried to apologize, but he silenced her with a wave of his hand. His "father" opened his mouth to speak but thought against it as Theo leveled him with a cold glare.
"Maybe this will be the wake-up call you need, but I won't hold my breath." He would add one last thing before he would rise to his feet.
As much as he did not want to… one last chance.
Third time was the charm, right? With a heavy heart, Theo delivered his ultimatum, his words a final plea for redemption and healing. "Unless you're clean and can prove to me that you actually give a damn about me, I want nothing to do with you. And you're not welcome near my family."
At the mention of family, the mother looked up, a small, hopeful gleam in her eyes.
"Are… are we… grandparents?" She'd ask, seemingly excited at the prospect.
The question about grandchildren hung in the air, a fragile thread of hope in the midst of shattered dreams.
Would that do the trick?
Theo's response was measured, his tone final as he met their gaze with unwavering resolve.
"Guess you'll have to find out for yourselves," he stated, his words both a condemnation and a hopeful plea.
And with that, he simply left.
No goodbyes, no future plans…
They knew how to get in touch if they wanted to.
As he left the diner, he fought against his own mind.
They were his parents, they were trying…
No.
They had opportunities before, they chose not to.
He doubted they even would now…
Who knew… people didn't always do right by their kids, but they usually would for the grandchildren, try to rectify their mistakes that way. Maybe it would be the same with them?
Not that he had any kids, but they didn't need to know that right now.
He'd light a cigarette as he stepped outside, the fading afternoon sunlight seeming a bit poetic.
Sun setting on one chapter…would it rise on a brighter one? Or some fancy worded shit like that. Poetry and the like was not his forte.
They had their options.
And despite not wanting to be, he was a little hopeful they'd come around. But at the same time, he knew better than to expect much…
Time would tell, he supposed.