Never Thought I'd Be The One To Burn

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It’s hot. It’s so damn hot; why can I never time these things better?
The heat didn’t typically bother Vox, but everything over the last few weeks took a toll on the man’s mental state. A decision of this caliber was not one made lightly, especially with the stipulation that Tree could never know why he was leaving…
…again.
He slowly approached the den that was solely occupied by his son. The boy couldn’t have been more than twelve… thirteen. He was thirteen. The formative years they spent together consisted primarily of quiet excursions throughout the Andaar Forest in an attempt to teach basic survival to Liam, though often met with frustration and an even more silent trip home. Though not always the best examples of Vox as a father, he still cherished the idea that he could even have this family after a lifetime of struggling to stay alive.
Then why am I doing this?…
He fought against the dichotomous struggle waging an existential war in his head. Morality and vindication seemed to be winning.
Making every effort to silently pass the opening of the room without being spotted, Vox could hear his heartbeat resonating in his skull. He couldn’t bear having to try and explain to a child why he would be gone for so long. He’d rather do anything else at this po-
“…dad?”
Damn it.
Vox took a moment to breathe, and tracked back into the den. He saw Liam sitting in the middle of the room, almost as if he had planned for this to happen. The boy always had a strange way of being around.
“Hey bud, it’s late. Why are you still up?”
“Can’t sleep.”
Vox chuckled, knowing full well that Liam had inherited his inability to find sleep most nights. It was a curse he didn’t wish to pass down to any child, but it was strangely comforting to know that he had that in common with an offspring that already had so many similarities to him.
“Makes two of us. Your mom was talking in her sleep again.”
He didn’t have a lot of time before he had to be gone. Tree would soon realize that he wasn’t next to her, and it would only make things harder to have to explain his absence.
“Buddy, do you remember Uncle Dario?”
“Is he coming over?”
“No, pal. I wish he were… but I need to go do something for him, like an errand. I might be gone for a little bit.”
Liam didn’t bother to look up from the ground at his dad. This was an unfortunately common occurrence in the Arnason household.
“…I know it seems like I’m gone a lot… and I’m sorry for that. You know, one day, you’ll have to take care of your mom and sister for me, when I’m not around anymo-”
“You’re not around now.”
That stings. I deserve that one.
“I get it… I do. I haven’t had the chance to spend the time with you and Kendra that I would like to, but I promise you that it’s for reasons that are going to help a lot of people. You and I have talked about doing things that may be hard on us, but in the end, are the right things to do. This is one of those things, I promise.”
Liam continued to trace the same pattern into the floor with his foot. He was old enough to understand that his father wouldn’t be around for a while, but not enough to grasp the gravity of his reasoning. Vox sighed, placing his hand on the boy’s head and ruffling the hair that bore much resemblance to his mother’s.
“Tell Kendra to stay out of trouble for me. You’re a little better at the whole signing thing than me.” Vox glanced down at the arm that once ended in a hand; now the home of a fully healed stump. He felt some degree of guilt for never being fully able to converse with his daughter, as he was still learning to sign with the only usable extremity he had left. It was better left to Liam and Tree to do most of the talking for him.
Liam pushed his father’s arm away with less force than he usually applied. Vox could feel that his son was defeated.
“Whatever.”
Liam grabbed a pillow that had been haphazardly cast to the side of the room and made his way towards his bed. There was no effort on his part to even acknowledge his father at this point, and Vox couldn’t blame him in the slightest. This wasn’t a choice that would be easy for anybody to understand.
“…I love you, buddy. Just know that.”
Knowing a verbal response wasn’t to follow, Vox retreated back to the doorway. It wasn’t the first time he was leaving on less-than-stellar terms with a member of his family, and much to his dismay, it more than likely wouldn’t be the last. He kept as quiet as he could muster in this moment, taking great care to avoid waking Tree or Kendra. With a swift movement, the man slid out the front door, and into the night.
Category:Events
Category:EU
Category:Vox Arnason
Category:Liam Arnason