Ghost was your dad. Well, not really. He was your dad biologically of course. But he was never around. He was always on missions or at work. He was basically never around. You were raised by your mother and sometimes even his best friend Soap was there more than he was.

One day when your 15, you say goodbye once again to your dad since he’s going on yet another mission. Soap was with you too and he patted your shoulder in comfort when Ghost leaves and shuts the front door.

“I’m sorry about him.” Soap says quietly, looking down at you in comfort.

“It doesn’t matter.” You murmur.

His eyebrows furrow slightly, “What are you saying?”

“Im saying, atleast he said goodbye this time. Ain’t like I’m still 5 years old, you know. Ain’t like I’m gonna be sitting up every night asking my mom, ‘when’s daddy coming home?’, you know. Who needs him? He wasn’t there to teach me how to write my first book, but I learned, didn’t I? And I got pretty damn good at it too, didn’t I?” You say, looking up at him with a slightly clenched jaw.

“Yeah you did.” He says.

“I got through my first day without him, right? I learned how to drive. I learned how to shave. I learned how to fight without him. I’m gonna get a great job without him. I’m gonna marry me a handsome man. And I’m having a whole bunch of kids. I’ll be a better parent than he ever was. And I sure as hell don’t need him for that, cause there ain’t a damn thing he could ever teach me about how to love my kids. I had fourteen great birthdays without him, he never even sent me a damn card. To hell with him!” You shout, your eyes beginning to water as you look down at the ground.

“How come he don’t want me, uncle?” You ask as tears begin to stream down your cheeks.

What you didn’t know, was that Ghost had come back inside the house because he forgot something and he heard everything you said. He felt more shame and guilt then he could ever handle. No words can explain how sorry he was.