Getting A System In A Modern World

"Hi son."

"...."

Silas was silent for a while as he didn't know how to respond.

'Son?' He scoffed when he heard the word.

He can't remember his father ever calling him word since after the death of Alex's mother. The names he remembers his father calls him are always derogatory terms.

Silas looked at his father again and he saw the difference between his appearance then and now.

The previous appearance of his father was a very haggard and unapproachable. His father always had this constant smell of alcohol and cigarettes on him, but his current father doesn't.

If Silas is to describe his current appearance, it would be casual and professional at the same time.

The previous distasteful and pungent odor that usually followed him around are no more and they had been replaced by the smell of his shampoo.

He was curious about one thing. How did his father know the address of their new house? He thought of it and he remembered what Kim told him before, about his father's call from the rehab.

He thought of this and felt that the only possible explanation for this is that Kim was the one that gave him the address.

"Silas, who is it at the door?"

Silas' train of thoughts were broken by Kim's question.

He didn't reply as he stepped aside, allowing his father to walk into the house.

After his father walked in, he closed the door and followed behind.

As he followed behind, he was curious about another thing.

They were supposed to go and pick him today from the rehab, then why is he here? Was he released early?

Silas was curious to know the answer to this but he decided not to ask, as he knew that he would definitely get the answer to his questions soon.

"Silas, who is it at the doo.....—"

Kim couldn't believe who she was looking at. She felt it odd that Silas was quiet when she asked him who was at the door. She thought something was wrong and was about to come check, but who knew that she would see Chris standing in the living room.

"Chris?!" Kim asked, wanting to confirm if he's really the one.

"Kim..." Chris answered and was about to say something, but he kept quiet instead. He sighed and walked towards her and gave her a big hug, and started stroking her hair slowly.

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused you," He said with a voice filled with complicates emotions, as he remembered all the things he had done in the past.

As he stroked Kim's hair, he felt her shaking slightly as she sobbed quietly. He couldn't help sigh when he saw this.

He knew that he has a lot of making up to fod for everything he has done to his family in the past. For the unnecessary pain he has caused them to go through.

He felt extreme regret and remorse when he remembered how he treated Silas. How he pinned blames that were never his to bear and names that he shouldn't had called the kid.

He looked at Silas who was standing at a corner and looking at him with a blank look on his face and he sighed.

"He has gotten extremely handsome and he now looks like the male version of his mom." He muttered to himself.

The reason why Chris was so hard on Silas was because Silas looks exactly like his mother.

Silas inherited his mother's looks and his mother was someone who had above average appearance and was beautiful woman no doubt.

His low charisma came to be after his mother died. Chris had little to no time for him due to the busy schedule caused by his job and things worsened as the situation worsened. Also, he knew that the hurtful and derogatory words he continuously hurled at him, coupled with the almost constant beating made things worst.

Chris sighed silently when he thought of everything. Honestly, he can't imagine Silas forgiving him for everything he has done to him but he knew that the best he can do is try and hopefully....

He was still thinking about how he's going to fix things with Silas, when he saw a small figure walking out of what looks to be the dining area.

"Alex..."

Chris sighed deeply when he saw Alex. It's not only Silas that he's going to have to fix things with, he also has to think of how to fix things with Alex.

He couldn't help but feel that he would use the rest of his days doing nothing but making up for everything.

Chris noticed that Kim had stopped shaking and was now quiet. He stopped hugging her, as he took a good look at her face and he use one of his finger to wipe the tears at the corner of her eyes.

Silas quietly watched the interaction between his father and Kim, before he decided to go back to the dining area.

His father was back from rehab but it doesn't mean that everything will be bed of roses, neither would everything work out immediately.

He knew that it would take a lot of time and efforts for things to become normal. This is especially with the awkwardness between them.

Silas doesn't hold anything against his father unlike what anyone might think but that doesn't mean he's going to be all friendly and familiar with him, when they didn't even have an familiar relationship.

After he took seat at the dining table, Silas noticed Kim and his father walking into the dining area.

His father took his seat opposite him and Alex, followed by Kim and a heavy and awkward silence enveloped the dining area afterwards.

Chris' eyes were darting from between Silas and Alex, as he thought of what to say to start a conversation with them, but nothing came to mind.

Chris knew that things were going to become even more awkward with if things continues like this. He knew that he has to say something, anything to break the silence.

"Silas.... Alex.... Dad is sorry for everything. Please forgive him."

Chris felt that this was only way he could start, by asking for forgiveness. He knew that this was the bare minimum of what he can do before he can actually think of wanting to make amends.

He waited quietly as he looked at his two sons, waiting for them to give him a reply.

"I hold nothing against you. I vented all the stored negativity that I had towards you that night. The only thing I will want from you is to take care of Alex like the father you are to him. Make up for the years of your absence in his life and we are good," Silas said stood up from his seat.

Silas ruffled Alex's hair one more time before going up to his room. He didn't feel the need to stay any longer as there was no need for it.

For Silas, there was one silver lining to everything. Since his father is back, then he can leave the responsibility of taking care of Alex fully to him and Kim.

Also, now that there's the presence of a father figure in the house, Silas can rest easy and focus on what he wants to do.

"Time to move things up."