The Absent Father
Henry’s father was long gone before he died. It felt like it to Henry, anyway. He was there, but he wasn’t there for him. Not when Henry was learning to tie his shoes at 7. Not when he had to learn how to shave at 16. He wasn’t there for Henry when a much older woman took his virginity at 19, and when he had his heart broken and didn’t feel like living anymore at 27. He was just a face in the crowd at Henry’s wedding at 29, not once offering his opinion on Henry’s fiancee before she became his wife, and never after. He was never one of the main characters in Henry’s story, and with each passing year he faded more into the background. His voice has gotten small and quiet. Not that it mattered much, as the man stopped talking almost entirely. Weeks would sometimes pass without him uttering a single word, not even when asked. The now old man would mostly just sit in his armchair, staring absent-mindedly and drift off into sleep. It wasn’t really Henry’s internal need or desire to try...