Random Ideas

Drake cracked a small smile at Dimitri's words. He knew that that wasn't true. At his question, he chuckled and said, "Not a lost puppy. Just a puppy." He sent him a smile to show he was only joking. "But if it makes you feel better, I was the same way with your mother. I was the best flirt around, but around her...I was like jello," he said, thinking back to the first day he had met her.

Dimitri smiled as he listened to his father talk about his mother. He never did. "Dad, what was she really like?" he asked. Sure, he had known her, but he was young when she died. He could remember her being the sweetest and gentlest woman that he had ever met. He remembered her voice that was as beautiful as silk. He could remember her as all these wonderful things, but he wanted to see what his father thought of her.

Drake thought back to all of the wonderful things he knew about Angel. "She was the most caring person I have ever met. If she were to hurt a fly, she would more than likely apologize," he began, chuckling softly. "She had such a kind heart, and she was so sensitive. But there was always something about her that made her strong. She could stand up for herself if she had to," he continued, cracking a dimply smile. "She would do anything for you and Ann. Her family was her world, and she cared so much sometimes she would worry herself sick," he murmured thoughtfully. "She reminds me a lot of you."

Dimitri smiled to himself as he listened to his mother. She really did seem like an extraordinary woman. He wished that she could have gotten to know her better, but he was going to have to settle with what he had. "She really was a wonderful person," he said, but then he gave his father an odd look as he said that she reminded him of him. "Of me? I don't think I'm anything like her, but thank you."

Drake shook his head and cracked a small smile. "She was," he whispered, sighing as he thought of Angel. She had been his world from day one. He was lucky, in a way, that he had his children. There was a piece of her in both of his kids. Dimitri with his personality, and Ann with her looks. He chuckled at Dimitri's comment and stated, "You may not think so, but you are." He half smiled and then let out a soft sigh. "You are much better than me."

Dimitri tried to think about it for a moment or two. Could he really be like his mother? He wished. She was such a wonderful person, and he wanted to be like her. When Drake spoke. he instantly turned on him. "Better than you? Dad, I don't think you realize what you just said," he said, and he smiled. "You just called some kid better than a man who raised his children?"

Drake chuckled and offered Dimitri a grin. "Well, I should have done a better job raising the two of you," he replied, dropping his gaze down to the floor. "You know, I always vowed to never be like my father. To never treat my kids the way my father treated me. Look where I am now," he muttered, sighing. "I push you so hard, and I lose my temper."

Dimitri sighed, and he took his father's hand. "You did the best you could alone," he said, and he gave him a small smile. He would at least give him props for trying. "Dad, the best part of that is realizing that you are like that so you can fix it," he said, and he gave him a small smile. He wanted his father to be happy in life. He deserved it more than anyone.

Drake rose his brows at Dimitri's words. "You are wise beyond your years, you know," he said with a chuckle as he gave his son's hand a small squeeze. "I just know I could, and should, have done better. You and Ann deserved that," he whispered, sighing as he thought back. He would have done things so much differently now if he could have gone back and changed it.

Dimitri smiled lightly, and he glanced at the ground. He wasn't that smart. He sure did wish that he was. When his dad spoke, he sighed and shook his head. "Dad, stop sulking and actually do. Stop saying that you should be a better father and actually try," he said, and he gave him a look. "You cn't change the past, but you can change the future."

A slow smile once again slipped onto Drake's face. Dimitri was a smart kid, no matter if he thought so or not. He thought it over before he said, "I know, and I will do my best to." He hoped he could be the father that he had always wanted to be. His own father's raising wasn't going to take over his life. There was no way he was going to let it. At least, not anymore.

Dimitri smiled down at his father, and he gave him a thumbs up. Hopefully he would at least try and change a bit. He could be a really good father. He bit his lip as a question came to mind. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to ask, but he was so curious. "Dad, this is sort of a personal question, but what exactly were you and Mom fighting about the days before she died?"

Drake's face fell as Dimitri asked the one question he would have rather avoided. He averted his gaze and thought back to those last days. Now, he wished he could rewind time and fix how he had been. He hadn't even had a chance to apologize. "I was very...distant with work," he began, not looking his way. "I pushed everyone away, even your mother. I just...wasn't myself."

Dimitri looked at his father, and he sighed to himself. He wished that the could have understood what was going on when he was little. He didn't even really understand that his mother was dead and never coming back until he got in middle school. He didn't understand how Ann could be so social and happy. He became the closed off and shy person that he was today. "I think she would be proud of you now."

Drake cracked a small, hesitant smile at that. He missed Angel, that feeling had never went away. She was the one person who he could always count on. Even now, he sometimes didn't believe she was truly gone. But he knew that at the end of the day, Angel was only someone in his heart and his children. "I would like to think she would be," he whispered in response.

Dimitri smiled, and he took his father's hand. "I'm sure she would be. She seemed to love you a lot," he said. As a kid, he was always confused with them. They would seem so happy when he was around them, but then when he got in his room he could hear them screaming at each other. He was terrified that that was what marriage was. He didn't want to get married.

Drake smiled weakly and whispered, "I just wished she would have known how much I loved her before she died." He was talking more to himself now. He shook his head and forced a small smile. "It is getting late. Do you need anything before I head out?" he asked. He didn't want to keep Dimitri up, and he had work the next morning. But in a way, he was glad he had time to actually bond with his son.

Dimitri couldn't help but feel ad for his father. He probably hated himself for his past, and there was probably a lot that he wasn't telling them. He shook his head at his question. "No, I should be good," he said, and he let out a yawn. Well, he was getting pretty tired.

Drake stood and offered his son a small smile. He was glad that he was at least okay. He wouldn't know what he would have done if he had lost his son without settling the differences like what happened with Angel. "All right, feel free to call if you do need anything," he said before he reached over and carefully gave him a hug. "And never scare me like that again," he added on with a half smile. "Night," he whispered before he left the hospital room.

Dimitri now really understood why his father was so worried when he got into the accident. They fought before just like he did with his mother, but his mother died. That could have happened all over again. He smiled and hugged his father back. "I'll try my best not to," he said before waving goodbye.

{should we ts?

{yeah. to when? c:

{I'm not sure. Any ideas?

{hmm.....we can always skip to the next day....or....hmm....

{we could ts to when he gets better and they go to the football game.

{okay that works for me. do you want me to start?