A Laundry Room Conversation

"I am disappointed in you," he admitted, arms crossed.

He was hard to look at. His wife had encouraged him to get film treatment, where they encased your naked body completely in a film that was meant to de-age you. But the treatment was experimental, and did not work on his entire body. So while the skin beneath his eyes, for example, looked tight, bronze and youthful; one of his eyelids had escaped the film. The wrinkly lid partially blocked his vision and hung over his red eye, which was red from the lid's contact irritation.

"I'm actually glad you said it out loud," said Alex. "I've been feeling your disappointment for a while, so weirdly it's nice to hear you say it. 

His father said something so softly Alex couldn't hear it, and he hung his head low. Alex was pleased to see his sadness. Not because he wanted his dad to feel shitty, but because perhaps it was a signal of growth. 

"So what now?" asked Alex. 

"I don't know. I don't know how to fix this. I-I can't change," he said. 

"And I wouldn't want you to." Alex reached out and touched his dad's shoulder. "It's going to be okay." Alex felt his eyes water. He was able to keep his hand from trembling, though he regretted not letting his dad feel the trembles. 

"But I want to change," he said.

"But that would mean changing yourself too much," said Alex. "I think you're happy enough."

They waited there for an eternity and listened to the clothes spin in the dryer quite violently. They never had figured out how to get it quieter. But it functioned as a nice distracting noise for now. It did not feel much unlike Alex's mind, Alex mused. This thought brought a smile to Alex's face. And a mood change. 

"Hey, why don't we play battleship together."

"Okay."

They walked together, Alex leading the way, to the kitchen table. Alex moved the Advent wreath out of the way and set up the board. It felt almost sacred, removing that game from that tattered old box. A box full of memories. 

It didn't make much sense, but Alex stopped having trouble looking at his dad.