26. Repairs

Connor's POV

When Benji lead me into the room, I was shocked by how rough my father looked. His eyes had become a dull red, and it was almost sad how messed up he looked. I guess that I hadn't really thought both sides through when I encouraged Papa to end their relationship. I was only thinking about his emotions, not what it would put my father through. I guess that I was still bitter over how he treated me. Still, Benji was right; there was no excuse for the way that I acted to him. Just because he started it, it doesn't mean that I had to go around talking behind his back and trying to make him feel pain. That was wrong and very stupid of me. I should have put more thought into my advice...

His long black hair was slightly matted in the back, and it fell around his shoulders like a dollar store mop. His posture had gone from bold and regal to small and sad. He was not the same man that had confronted me on that balcony. He wasn't even the same person as when I was a child. He's grown to be different, and I didn't take that into account.

"When Devon told me he wanted to break up, I was shocked that after all of this time, he no longer wanted to be with me. Our relationship may have had a rocky start, but we pushed through it. I guess that I thought we would always talk through our arguments, but I misjudged him. I didn't know how rash he was going to be. I had planned to have time to make it up to him all the way, but clearly, I didn't. He had already made up his mind, and I was too late to convince him otherwise. I guess that's just how it goes, though. He's always been a free spirit, and I knew that he would never stick around me for long."

"This is great and all, Dad, but can you give me some specific information? What happened between you two that made it not as good as it was before? What was the bump that hurled you over the side of the cliff?" My voice was small, and I felt as if I had made a grave mistake in my instructions. Maybe he never did do anything wrong, and Papa was overreacting. I know that I got a little bit of his quick decision making. However, I try to think everything through before I act. Maybe I just didn't do it correctly this time.

"I don't know what happened between us this time. We just drifted apart after so long of being together all alone. I should have known what would happen once we spent that long in each other's presence. I don't know if you noticed when you were a kid, Connor, but we would always take a day out of the week and spend it apart. It allowed both of us to think for ourselves and come up with our own thoughts. It made it so that we didn't tear each other apart like this. The humans were putting so much pressure... I knew that in time we would go up in flames. I'm surprised that we lasted as long as we did."

"So, what do you both do now." I was tense beyond belief, and my shoulders were hunched down. I didn't want them to be split apart by some measly humans, but there are some things I just can't help with. They deserve to be happy, but at the same time, they shouldn't be apart. It just feels wrong to me.

"I don't know. As far as I can see, the ball is in his court. I've done all of the apologizing I can, and it's time to move on now. I could never forget him, but as long as he's pushing me away, I can't let him affect me. Not anymore. I should be investing more time and thought into it, but I don't have the energy to continue chasing him. He's done with the game, so I have to be too. Connor, I know that you don't want to see us both unhappy, but this is the only way. Unless he steps up and shows his apology, I'm going to move on."

"This is great and all, but have you considered what happens if he doesn't?" He isn't making any sense to me. Don't they love each other? Why would they even consider splitting up? They've been the golden couple for so many years. Still, what he said is true. I do remember the time they spent apart, but they would always use it to get better. He and my papa could butt heads, but they had a lot of bending before they broke. I guess they just reached that point.

"I will move on like a mature adult. I'm not going to bother him all the time by trying to fix us. I know that he will come to me if he wants to improve, but there isn't a single thing I can do until then. I just have to wait and watch because that is the only way for me to get back into his good graces. Until then, I want to spend a little bit of time with you."

"Before we do that, I just want to ask a few more questions." He nodded his head briefly, and I took a deep breath before continuing. "You're trying to tell me that by being with each other too long, you drew farther apart? Isn't that like the opposite direction? Also, you aren't going to try to do anything? You're giving up without trying. He's going to think that you just don't care."

"The opposite will happen, Connor. We've always been two people that work on two polar ideas. We take time apart so that we don't get reliant on each other. If we get too dependent, we will end up in a heated debate on something that won't end very well. For example, this time, it was about whether or not blowdrying your hair is healthy for it. We got into an argument, said some things we both regretted, and the wounds from our words ran too deep. He allowed it to get into his head, and that was the end of our relationship. A simple different opinion can break us apart. As far as him thinking I'm not trying goes, he won't. He knows how my brain works. He heard me apologize once, and he knows that I'm not going to push farther whether I care about him or not."

"You seriously got a divorce over a hair drier."

"No, we got a divorce over the things I said to him after the argument shifted from being about a hair drier to the way I treat him. I really do my best, but sometimes it isn't good enough. I want you to remember that I am not the perfect person, Connor."

"What happens after you fall apart..."

"We stay that way and developed from it. It's all we can do."

"Hey, dad..."

"What?"

"I love you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that makes me really happy. I love you too, Conny."

"Let's get back to normal."

"I would love to."