actually thought that was my name. He demanded it when I was born, but my mom added an ‘A’ on the spelling on the birth certificate without telling him. However, that’s why she called me Buddy. She didn’t like the fact that, even though she had managed to change it without my father knowing, my name was intended to be an insult from the moment I came into this world. He always called me that.”
My heart broke instantly and I wanted to go dig up Daemon’s father, bring him back to life, just to beat his ass and place him back in the ground all over again. I shared my parents’ abhorrence of abuse, especially abuse of a child. “Why did your mom take you back if he was like that? She’d gotten you away from him, why return?”
Daemon’s chest steadily rose and fell as I waited for him to respond. His hesitancy to answer was a clear indication of his discomfort, but I needed to know this part of him in order to truly understand many of the events of our past. We both carried burdens from our youth that were out of our control. Hopefully, together, we would be able to bring those burdens into the open to finally relieve the pain that came with them.
“She loved him, I guess. I never understood why. He was always, ALWAYS, like that. I wish I could blame it on his drinking or one of the many drugs he was addicted to, but in the end, it was just him. He was a very angry person. A few weeks after mom and I arrived at The Center, she reached out to him. Even though he had hurt both of us, my mother was worried for him. He made promises to her that she thought he could keep. When we arrived back, it all fell apart almost instantly.” Pain and remorse was seared into every word he spoke and I wanted nothing more but to reach out to young Daemon and pull him from the nightmare he obviously lived. The more he told me about his time with his father, the more I understood why he was so angry as a child. I couldn’t help but think about my parents and the decision they made for Daemon on that fated day. I needed to talk to them about everything, but I wasn’t quite ready to forgive them for their dishonesty.
Both Daemon’s and my head turned as the buzzer sounded, indicating Alex had arrived. Daemon kissed me on the forehead before saying, “Ah, your babysitter is here. We can talk about this more after I return home.” He flashed me a crooked smile and I loosened my hold on him, allowing him to pull away from our embrace. I watched as he walked across the room and couldn’t help but admire the way he moved. He hit the button to send the elevator to Alex before opening the front door and returning to stand by me in the kitchen.
“So, tomorrow, I want to take you to my gym to start training. Don’t expect anything fancy. Frank took me there after I came to live with him and I was trained there. It’s old, and ratty and most of the people there are just as old and ratty as the place, but they are good people.”
An instant smile broke out on my face as I remembered Daemon’s promise to train me to fight. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. I had no idea how he planned on training me, but I was sure a few pointers couldn’t hurt. Not that I needed them, of course; but Daemon didn’t know that.
“Who’s Frank? Is that the person my parents sent you to live with when you came back?”
Daemon smiled as he remembered back. “Yeah. He was this crotchety old marine who wouldn’t put up with my punk attitude. He scared the shit out of me when I first met him, but he was an amazing man. Taught me mostly everything I know. He owned one of the smaller bars in town and gave it to me when he passed. I’m so thankful to him for everything, your parents as well.” He tapped me on the nose as a silent hint that I needed to deal with this issue with my parents. I looked up at him sheepishly and shrugged my shoulders in
My heart broke instantly and I wanted to go dig up Daemon’s father, bring him back to life, just to beat his ass and place him back in the ground all over again. I shared my parents’ abhorrence of abuse, especially abuse of a child. “Why did your mom take you back if he was like that? She’d gotten you away from him, why return?”
Daemon’s chest steadily rose and fell as I waited for him to respond. His hesitancy to answer was a clear indication of his discomfort, but I needed to know this part of him in order to truly understand many of the events of our past. We both carried burdens from our youth that were out of our control. Hopefully, together, we would be able to bring those burdens into the open to finally relieve the pain that came with them.
“She loved him, I guess. I never understood why. He was always, ALWAYS, like that. I wish I could blame it on his drinking or one of the many drugs he was addicted to, but in the end, it was just him. He was a very angry person. A few weeks after mom and I arrived at The Center, she reached out to him. Even though he had hurt both of us, my mother was worried for him. He made promises to her that she thought he could keep. When we arrived back, it all fell apart almost instantly.” Pain and remorse was seared into every word he spoke and I wanted nothing more but to reach out to young Daemon and pull him from the nightmare he obviously lived. The more he told me about his time with his father, the more I understood why he was so angry as a child. I couldn’t help but think about my parents and the decision they made for Daemon on that fated day. I needed to talk to them about everything, but I wasn’t quite ready to forgive them for their dishonesty.
Both Daemon’s and my head turned as the buzzer sounded, indicating Alex had arrived. Daemon kissed me on the forehead before saying, “Ah, your babysitter is here. We can talk about this more after I return home.” He flashed me a crooked smile and I loosened my hold on him, allowing him to pull away from our embrace. I watched as he walked across the room and couldn’t help but admire the way he moved. He hit the button to send the elevator to Alex before opening the front door and returning to stand by me in the kitchen.
“So, tomorrow, I want to take you to my gym to start training. Don’t expect anything fancy. Frank took me there after I came to live with him and I was trained there. It’s old, and ratty and most of the people there are just as old and ratty as the place, but they are good people.”
An instant smile broke out on my face as I remembered Daemon’s promise to train me to fight. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. I had no idea how he planned on training me, but I was sure a few pointers couldn’t hurt. Not that I needed them, of course; but Daemon didn’t know that.
“Who’s Frank? Is that the person my parents sent you to live with when you came back?”
Daemon smiled as he remembered back. “Yeah. He was this crotchety old marine who wouldn’t put up with my punk attitude. He scared the shit out of me when I first met him, but he was an amazing man. Taught me mostly everything I know. He owned one of the smaller bars in town and gave it to me when he passed. I’m so thankful to him for everything, your parents as well.” He tapped me on the nose as a silent hint that I needed to deal with this issue with my parents. I looked up at him sheepishly and shrugged my shoulders in
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