"You don't have to do this!" Charles snapped, his voice cold and distant. Expecting him to open his heart so easily was just impossible.
"Derrick, please… don't reject a father's love again…" Derrick sighed deeply. Just being able to see his son one more time like this was already more than he could hope for. "I'm leaving now. Take care of yourself."
The airport announcement echoed overhead.
Derrick turned quickly, his hunched figure blending into the crowd of passengers. In mere moments, he was gone from sight.
Only then did Charles realize—time had flown by. Derrick… was truly old now.
Derrick and Philip left for France, and life returned to how it used to be. That house, once filled with Derrick and Philip's presence, was a place Charles rarely visited. Now, there was no reason to go back at all.
