dialogue; daddies anonymous.

[singlemalts]

I'm Michel.

By ways of introduction, I guess I should say that my son has cut all contact with me. I haven't spoken to him in ten years, I believe.

Well, it's not a matter of belief, of course. I count the days, every day.

Comments

[singlemalts]

That he'll be able to be his true self with his children. At every age of his life.

[dividedbyone]

Indeed.

See how self-obsessed we remain, even now? It's always about whatever we didn't get. Sometimes, I think what I want the most for my children is for them to be free of me.

[singlemalts]

Some shadows are so long, you can walk for the rest of your life, you can run, and yet you'll never be free of them. That's simply the reality of it.

[dividedbyone]

Is it?

Yes, I suppose it is. We've tainted them, irrevocably. It's really no wonder if we aren't readily invited into their lives.

[singlemalts]

Maybe so, maybe so. [ It's not clean acceptance, but it isn't refusal either. The thought simply scares him. After a moment -- ] Should I stop calling him?

[dividedbyone]

After ten years?

No. Yes. I wouldn't have.

[singlemalts]

Maybe only for Christmas, then.

[ It's a joke, mostly. He isn't sure what he's going to do, stop or not.

Continue or not. ]

[dividedbyone]

We want them free but not from us.

Ironic.

[singlemalts]

What do we even know of freedom?

Isn't that why we're here? We can't offer them something we never had ourselves.

[dividedbyone]

Always with the excuses. If nothing else, we must know about captivity and how to keep it to ourselves.

Don't call him.

[singlemalts]

Ten years of trying. Ten years of trying and failing, coming to an end.

[dividedbyone]

Mm. There is relief in that.

[singlemalts]

Like there is in all the best ends.