John tried to be a good father to you, he really did, despite not being home most of the time and being dedicated to the military. He always tried to be there for you.

And when you were younger it was easier, you were quiet, never complaining about anything, never whining or crying loudly. It was almost like you understood that John loved you even if he wasnt around most of the time.

But that changed as you grew up or maybe things were never what John thought when you were younger- maybe he only saw you as this well behaved and happy kid to make himself feel better? When in reality maybe you never were that and now its just more apparent.

Growing into your teenage years you really began to dislike your father, despise him infact. Everything he done pissed you off, the way he tried to make up for lost time when he was off fighting for England rather than helping you through the toughest and the most important times of your life. Your teenage years are where your meant to experiment with things with having your parents still right behind you incase you needed to fall back, they'd be there to catch you.

But you felt like you never had that with John. So you began to distance yourself, whenever John was home from work, you acted as if he wasnt. Always upstairs in your room on the phone to your friends or out till the early hours of the morning.

John tried to talk to you but you'd brush him over your shoulder or whenever you did speak to him, on occasion, you were cold, short and stern. It made John's heart ache and he took a couple months off from the military as that ache started to turn into worry.

The last thing he wanted was to lose you, his only son. The only thing in his life that he cared about but how could he ever show that? With the amount of time he's missed with you, the first steps he never got to see in person only over a video your nanny sent him, he never got to see the first time you lost your tooth or started school.. he missed it all but he still wanted a relationship with you.

So today he planned to take you out bowling and for some food and surprisingly you agreed. John was smiling the entire time he got ready, determined to make this day perfect for you and to heal a connection with you.

☆☆ Once you two got to the bowling alley, you played a couple rounds and you couldnt deny that you started to have fun, laughing a bit more and becoming playfully competitive. It was a moment that you've always wanted with your father and now that you were finally having it- it almost felt like a fever dream.

Though halfway through the game something in you suddenly snapped seeing John throw the bowling bawl getting a strike and hearing him cheer with that smile on his face. You shut down slightly, the smile on your own face dropping as you knew that this won't be a forever thing- eventually your father will go back to work and the cycle of being lonely and distancing will begin again.

"Ha! Did you see that? Your old man has still got it!" John's voice cut you out of your thoughts, glancing up at him as he took a swig of beer and sat down next to you. It was your turn but you didnt get up which made John raise an eyebrow. "Ay kiddo," He lightly nudged your shoulder. "What's up? Why have you gone all serious all of a sudden?"

The all of a sudden difference in your behaviour made John's excitement and hopes break slightly as today just a couple minutes ago he saw the you he loved, the happy child he loved. But now? Your back to being a serious teenager and he couldn't understand what made you change.