the imaginary dialogue of an overdue reunion ...

"don't i get a hug?"

"no, why would you think that?"

"i am your father, and i think that counts for something."

"well, it's nice that you have decided to try thinking, it's just a shame that you still don't think of much other than yourself. but here's something you can think about: being a father is a lot more than a job only in name, and childern mean something too."

"don't you have what it takes to forgive me?"

"i don't even know what it is that you would want me to forgive you for. you want to know why i don't like you, and the first thing that comes to my mind is how you treated me. but it was always so much more than just me. in fact, i would say that you treated me better than almost anyone else in this whole stupid fucking mess.

"there is a lot that i have gotten out of being your son. i know that i don't want to be like you. i don't want to look like you, i don't want to think like you, and i don't ever want to feel that i must feel like you. i suppose that's a little bit of a burden, but it's a burden that i got from you.

"but i just think that a man owes a little bit more to the world. and i feel that it's silly to think that i can tell you exactly what you owe. i look back on everything, and i don't even know what makes you think that you have the right to enter back into my life."

"is there a hope for me?"

"and it's shit like this that drives me that much more insane. how the fuck do i know. you act like the verdict rests in my hands. but i stand here before you the man least concerned of anything having to do with you. this is not my life, and not my fight. and i don't even know where to go from here."