The Ways of Patching Up | ✓

Twenty Second

Dinner seemed to be going just as every other day. The awkwardness that typically surrounded Dad and Elliot was still loitering around, embracing them together as if it was a part of the family. Dead silence continued being their supportive friend, accompanying them together as their teeth ground and crunched on their fried chicken.

The tense atmosphere was no longer a huge problem for Elliot, as it was normal to see Dad with his lips tight. The man's gaze remained blank and inexpressive as he tore off a tiny chunk of meat from the food and almost instantly, he munched on it.

Regardless, there were two things that made the boy raise his head, blink twice and lift an eyebrow. Firstly, Dad continued on devouring the chicken, where supposedly, at this moment, he would have gone back to work in the basement lab. He would abandon the food, allowing Elliot to finish the remains. However, he showed no signs of leaving the table early, as he leaned against the back of the chair and spread both of his legs.

Weird... I think Mr. Zheng's trying to make Dad eat more... The small blondie wondered as he swallowed his chicken, maintaining his attention on Dad. Well... I guess that's good. He wouldn't be feeling so sick anymore.

Secondly, Elliot couldn't see any signs of beer bottles littering all over him. Usually, he would have at least one on the table, where he would gulp all of the contents until the last drop. Well, maybe Dad placed them on the fridge or somewhere else, and he would get them later, but for the child, the situation just screamed out of the ordinary.

Maybe... it's all because of what Mr. Zheng said this afternoon... Probably that was one of the main reasons why Dad never mentioned the horrible events in the morning. Elliot was already preparing himself to get yelled at, but nothing ever came back to him. The fact that he never got angry for talking back still boggled him out, as he continuously begged for more answers.

I was probably really lucky at that moment, because Dad would never do that... Elliot continued chewing on his food with no comment, although he remained preoccupied with countless questions on Dad's change of attitude and actions. If anything, he also still couldn't find clues as to why Dad cast him that one expression. I'm so sure that he's trying to talk with me... but, what could-

All of the sudden, something was lodged in his throat, and almost immediately, his abrupt, loud coughs shooed the silence away. He clamped his mouth shut as he desperately tried to remove the burning sensation in his airway. In impulse, the boy attempted to grab the glass of water, but unexpectedly, Lawson shot up from his chair and hastily strode towards him.

"Dad-" the child tried to call out.

"Don't drink anything. It's gonna make it worse," he warned, cutting Elliot off as he snatched the glass away from him. He pursed his lips and gripped his jaw as he watched his son wheezing, until at long last, the hacking noises died down, enveloping them back into the peacefulness once more. 

Ugh... that hurts... The kid whimpered as he rubbed his nose and mouth, before he opened his eyes and trailed towards Dad, who remained fixated on him. His attention wasn't flying anywhere else... it was just Elliot and Elliot only. For some reason, Dad's face momentarily turned white, but seeing that his son was back to his normal self, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Next time," Lawson returned back to his spot at the same speed as when he approached him, "don't eat so quickly, Elliot."

"Sorry..." Elliot hung his head, but the child didn't even think about his coughing episode. He was more perplexed about Dad... actually saying something to him over dinner, showing him some sort of concern. At all the passing thoughts, the boy pushed the remaining chicken away, as he felt like not touching them anymore. Is he... really the Dad that I know?

Lawson shook his head, while simultaneously, nausea was on the verge of taking him over. Even if he just gobbled up one drumstick, his stomach already felt so bloated, and moreover, his brain was still in a constant, throbbing pain. Nevertheless, there was one huge craving that wasn't at all satisfied yet, temptations were constantly poking at him like needles.

I need to have beer right now... this is fucking torturing me... He grunted as he gripped his head with his hands, before ultimately, his resistance against his urgent need for booze crumbled into ruins. His eyes then wandered towards the fridge, where he found himself ambling towards it. Fuck this shit. I'm just getting one, that's all... no big deal... that old geezer can go fuck himself... this isn't that mu-

"If you keep on doing these things and not stopping, then I'M NOT GONNA SEE YOU ANYMORE!!!"

That familiar scream made Lawson instantly froze on his tracks. He was already about to open the doors to grab a bottle, but his hand stopped midair. He inevitably held his own breath as he started recalling his son's outburst before he went off to school. He remembered how tears stained the small child's red cheeks as he glared at him, before he stormed off the house.

Lawson helplessly let his hand fall to the side as he started stepping back. Lightly gasping, he abruptly glanced his head over his shoulder, locking gazes with Elliot. He ogled him with his large brown eyes, which contained nothing but pure innocence. Both him and his son might sport the same light blond hair, but other features such as his tiny pointy nose, his smooth skin and baby face were reminiscent of... his ex-wife, Renata.

"Dad?" Elliot tilted his head as he felt goosebumps all over him. What is Dad trying to do? Why is he looking at me like that again...? What's wro-

Before Elliot could complete his own thoughts, Dad's body shook, despite all the warmth they had in the house. Without warning, the man marched towards him and pulled Elliot towards his chest while he snaked his arms around his tiny body. Furthermore, his grasp immediately tightened, as if he refused to let him go by just even one second.

"D... Dad...?" Elliot didn't even know what to think at this point. He was literally thrown aback by his father because this wasn't like him for the past few weeks. He had always been blunt with words, rejecting his company, and being harsh towards him. Although there were certain occasions where he fully acknowledged him, it was never to the point where he hugged him out of nowhere.

What's happening to him...? Why is he being like this...? He's seriously not the normal gloomy Dad that I know... I guess Mr. Zheng really made him listen. There were just too many points and gaps that Elliot couldn't just connect and bring together.

...but whatever the reason is... I'm liking this so far. Elliot slowly returned the embrace back, although his arms couldn't fully enclose around Dad. ...it's been so long since Dad hugged me, and it always feels so warm to be around him. I just hope Mr. Zheng sees this so that he knows Dad is actually a good person...

Elliot, though, was completely oblivious of the cold sensation that began to run down his head as his trembling father buried his face between the tufts of his hair. He couldn't even catch the constant mumblings from Dad as he rasped, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."