Note: Sorry for the lateness of the chapter. I got on my reading binge and forgot to type the new chapter last week. But here it is. Also, my bday is in two days! (June 27th). I am so excited, the only sad part is that I am turning 25. I am tired of aging already; adult life is so hard. (I am going to be shameless and say if anyone would like to give a bday gift, I can take two dollars on kofi 😭.)

Weekend

"Dad, wake up." Mikeal shook his father awake. After the doctor's appointment, he moved to sleep in his father's room to ensure he followed the doctor's main advice—eating.

Geno turned over, limply waving, "Two more hours."

Mikeal held a deadpan expression, "Dad, most say five more minutes, not two more hours."

"Since I made something new, can I sleep for two more hours?" Geno bargained.

Mikeal grabbed the blanket and threw it off his father, "No. You need to follow an eating schedule so we can get you back to the right weight." He started pulling his father's body up, ensuring he stayed awake.

Geno wanted to whine like a child. He did not want to get up and did not want to follow any eating schedule. The only thing he wanted to do was sleep, sleep, and guess what—sleep.

"We don't have to listen to the doctor to the letter," Geno complained, sitting on the bed but not moving to get out. At least he is awake.

"Hmm," Mikeal pretended not to hear his father, "get up; you are going to help me cook, and later, Mr. Raven is coming so we can go to the park."

"The park?" Geno could already feel his soul dying. The only times he stepped outside were to take his son to school and sometimes, well, rarely, to go to the store—the thought of being outside and having to exercise made him want to hide under the covers. Is it too late to fake sleep? Forget it; his son would force him awake either way.

Plus, he couldn't even say he didn't feel well because, after two days, he was starting to feel better. He is no longer coughing or throwing up—even his fever disappeared.

"If I help you cook all the time, can I get out of going outside?" Geno tried to bargain again.

Mikeal sighed, "Dad, please."

"Fine." Geno gritted his teeth, begging for anything to take him away as he left the bed. "Let's get this show on the road." On the inside, he is crying for help, but on the outside, he will put on a show for his son. He thought if he kept this up, maybe Mikeal would grow lenient, and he could fall back to his old ways—sleeping all day and barely eating.

Mikeal grew sad, knowing what his father was thinking. It's been three years seeing his father like this; how could he not? Grabbing his father's hand, Mikeal squeezed it, "Dad, promise you will try, please. The way you are going is practically sui—" Mikeal could not finish his sentence without choking up.

Geno bit his lip, feeling every word die in his throat. He wanted to tell his son that 'it wasn't like that' and 'everything is okay' but couldn't. Deep down, Geno knew he would be lying to his son and himself. He knew how his actions seemed and where they were leading. Geno could lie and say he did not want things to lead in that direction—he could even lie and say he wanted to be better, but it wasn't worth it. He was self-absorbed, beyond selfish, and Geno only knew how to hurt his son.

"I-I'm sorry." Geno finally spoke. But is he sorry? If he were apologetic, he would have never allowed his son to fall this far; Geno wouldn't have allowed himself to fall this far.

Mikeal could not stop himself from saying, "Are you?" Mikeal had told himself from the beginning that he would never argue with his father about how things were, but as time continued to flow, he felt broken. Sometimes, he would dream about the old days when he felt young and happy, then awake to feeling like he had quickly grown up. He was only ten years old, but he felt older than that.

"I promise to try. I will try." Geno tried convincing himself with those words. He will try for his son, but he doesn’t know if he could stick through it.

"I know," Mikeal whispered before letting out a smile while changing the subject, "let's eat before time moves fast and Mr. Raven comes knocking."

"You sounded old saying that." Geno laughed, enjoying the topic change. Mikeal hit his father, complaining that he was only ten while dragging them to the kitchen.

I will try. Geno thought.

Time passed, and when afternoon came, Nicholas showed up at the Hart family door. He knocked on the door, waiting for the father and son to join him outside. When they walked out, Mikeal and Geno were dressed to go to the park.

"You two ready to go?" Nicholas asked.

"No."

"Yes."

Geno did not want to go anywhere but the bed. He could already feel the outside air telling him to go back inside. I am sorry, air; I wish I could listen to you. He mentally cried.

Mikeal internally rolled his eyes at his father, "I am sorry, teacher, my dad meant yes."

"It is fine, I understand." Nicholas laughed.

After locking the front door, they entered Nicholas's car and silently drove to the closest park. Once they grew closer to the park, Geno started glancing around at every exit. Can an adult run away? He thought.

"No, you cannot run away." Mikeal wanted to laugh and maybe cry. He thought he was supposed to be the child, but his father was acting more like one than him.

"Did I say my thoughts out loud?" Geno confusedly questioned.

Mikeal shook his head, and Nicholas held a laugh at his student's lie and Geno's silliness. They hadn't even started yet, and Geno was already trying to escape. "I promise that it is not bad. We will be walking around the track in the park." Nicholas explained.

"Not bad? You are right; it is worse."

Mikeal palmed his head, "Dad, please stop being embarrassing."

"What? Do you expect me to walk in this heat?"

"It is not even hot; it is September, almost October," Mikeal argued. "You used to walk and run all the time."

Geno pulled out his arms and used his other hand to point at his face, "Look at me; do I look like I can take exercise? Even the wind can defeat me!"

"It is only walking. And we will take breaks. I promise it will be sets of walking ten minutes." Nicholas weakly added in, but Mikeal and Geno started an argument, barely listening to Nicholas.

"Dad, it is only walking. It is not like we are telling you to run."

Geno almost huffed like a child before he grabbed his back, faking pain, "Oh no, my back is hurting; I don't think I can walk."

Mikeal looked at his father before closing his eyes and counting to ten. He pinched his nose, trying to find some stability. "If you try to get out of walking, I will no longer let you sleep for ten hours again. Nap time will become work time."

Gasping, Geno looked at the betrayer he called a son, "You would forsake me?"

In the background, Nicholas tightly closed his mouth, trying to hold his laughter in. He began wondering which was the son and which one was the father.

"How old are you?" Mikeal did not step down. He would never step down when it comes to his father's health.

"Five years old." Geno finally huffed, crossing his arms. Mikeal blinked a few times, almost wanting to pull out his phone and check if he returned in time. No, he should check if he entered a parallel universe. The last time he saw his father acting this childish was five years ago when he wanted dessert for breakfast and got told no because it wasn't healthy.

He also remembered agreeing with his father because he wanted dessert, too. But he had an excuse; he was only five years old!

Nicholas couldn't hold back anymore and laughed out loud, causing Geno and Mikeal to remember they were with someone else. Mikeal turned red from embarrassment while Geno slightly coughed, trying to ignore his awkwardness.

Noticing the atmosphere, Nicholas apologized, "Sorry, I tried holding it back, but you two were funny." And cute. Nicholas thought. "Also, we will only do sets for ten minutes and take plenty of breaks, so there is nothing to worry about."

"That's great." Mikeal pushed back what happened a minute ago. "Right, Dad?"

"Sure." Geno fakely smiled. Ten minutes is still too long in his book, and it is in sets—meaning he has to do it more than once.

"I promise it won't be bad." Nicholas could hear the fakeness in Geno's 'sure.' He could see how Geno wanted to be far from here.

When they finally settled and parked the car, the group walked to the track. Nicholas handed them water bottles and started a timer as they walked around the field. Well, Mikeal, seeing that it had been a long time since he had been to the park, excitedly started running while leaving Geno and Nicholas behind.

Geno and Nicholas watched him go with a smile. Even though Geno was smiling at his son's excitement, he started feeling guilty for causing his son to be locked away at home.

"He completely left us behind," Nicholas commented, not knowing how to start the conversation with Geno. He had barely talked with the man before.

Geno nodded, "I am happy he is having fun; it couldn't be me. We are already a minute in, and I am ready to stop."

"It is not too bad; you got this." Nicholas tried encouraging.

After that, the conversation died, and silence took over. Geno and Nicholas continued walking, watching Mikeal run around the track. Nicholas tried to find something to say while Geno kept checking the time on his phone.

"I see that you are doing better, which is great." Nicholas couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Am I doing better?" Geno questioned himself more rather than responding to Nicholas's words.

"I meant from your cold."

"Oh, sorry, that question was more to myself."

"It is fine."

Then silence came again, making Nicholas want to run with Mikeal. Why is it so hard to talk to a student's father?

"It's weird talking to me, right? I used to be more social, but now I hate talking. I enjoy the silence more." Geno guessed Nicholas's thoughts.

"Are you telling me to stop trying?" Nicholas wondered.

Geno shook his head, "I am saying to stop thinking so hard and don't worry about trying to find a topic; I don't mind the silence."

"Okay. I want to get to know you, though, since I barged my way into this."

"I am no longer someone interesting; there is nothing to get to know."

"My life consists of kids and work, so there is nothing that I would find boring."

"Does sleeping all the time count?"

Nicholas laughed, "No, sleeping is still something. But, maybe we should start small—like, what is your favorite color?"

"Monochrome."

"No one has ever said that before," Nicholas laughed, "see, you are still interesting."

"Maybe," Geno laughed with Nicholas, "and yours?"

Nicholas looked at the sky with a smile, "Blue."