Façade<Lashton>

Epilogue IV

Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. ~David Ogden Stiers

Third Person POV

*Three Years Later: Total of Eight*

"Papa! Papa!" A young child screamed in Ashton's sleeping ear.

"Ugh, what do you want Jake?" Ashton groaned as he opened his tired eyes.

"Where's daddy?" Jacob asked, he was only about four years old, but he sure did love his parents.

"I don't know, probably at work." Ashton sighed.

"But it's Saturday!" Jacob whined.

"Well sometimes daddy has to work!" Ashton snapped at his child. Watching Jacob duck his head and walk out. Ashton instantly felt guilty, but alas, he laid back down anyways.

Jacob entered the room a few minutes later. "Papa I'm hungry."

"Okay, Jake, go downstairs and wait in the kitchen." Ashton sighed, he waited until the door closed before pulling himself out of bed.

Lately, ever since Luke got premoted, Ashton and Jake had spent much of their time together since Luke was gone.

He was lonely, to say the least. And it was nearly suffocating to the couple because even when Luke did get home, he was too tired to want to do anything.

Ashton was deprived of his Luke.

Ashton eventually walked into the kitchen but was shocked to see Luke sitting there. A hand in his blonde locks. A dark brown bottle in the other.

"Luke?" Ashton asked.

"I found daddy," Jacob whispered. "But he won't talk to me."

"Luke?" Ashton said again, with more force. A pair of blue bloodshot eyes was raised up to Ashton while he sat in shock. "Jakey go to your room. I'll bring your breakfast to you."

"But papa - "

"Go." Ashton said, his teeth clenched.

"Okay.." Jacob mumbled as Ashton approached Luke.

"Before you ask me anything." Luke said quietly. "You should look at this." He passed Ashton a pink slip of paper.

"You were laid off.." Ashton mumbled. Before noticing something strange. "Luke, this was addressed to you a month ago. You were fired a month ago. Where have you been spending all your time?" To say Ashton was nervous was an understatement. More like petrified.

"Searching for the bottom of my next bottle." Luke sighed as he glanced at the glass bottle in his hand.

"You've been getting drunk? For a month?" Ashton said, wide eyed.

"Heh, yeah." Luke said, his voice hoarse.

"Why didn't you tell me you got laid off?" Ashton asked. "That's something I think I deserved to know."

"I know." Luke said. "I'm failing you as a husband and I'm failing Jacob as a father." Luke covered his face as he cried. "I'm going to be just like my father."

"Oh Luke.." Ashton said softly as he wrapped his arms around his body. "I promise you will never become that man. Jacob loves you a lot, you have to see that."

"I'm letting you both down." Luke choked.

"You're not letting me down, daddy." Jacob poked his head in the kitchen, walking towards the two. He climbed into Luke's chair and onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around Luke while Luke ran his hand over the dark brown hair, his arms tight around his son.