A Good Father, Part Ii

...Harper said,”I’d no choice, I had to be, to save Ted from staring down a bad path. We see what happens to men who won’t work, rarely do they ever come back from that. “I love that boy more than any will know, but to be a father I can’t be his friend. My job is to prepare him for this world, and steer his from any sorry ends. “If I succeed, and he supports himself, he has a fighting chance at a good life; a home and some kids, money in the bank, to take care of himself and any wife. “Ted will never live a life he enjoys if he’s leaching off another man’s wealth. If I could stop that, but instead failed to act, I don’t think I could ever forgive myself.” When he heard the words, Jaquan’s face went sad, he said,”I think there’s some place I should be.” He moved quickly away, Harper knew why, see Jaquan had a one-year old baby. He was not wed to the child’s mother, though he still sometimes visited her bed. The reality of being a dad had not quite sunken into his head. As he disappeared, Harper look upwards, said,”Lord, I know that I sounded harsh. But please let then hear at least some of my words, because both have goodness in their hearts.” With that he felt a fatigue born of time, and greatly wish to sit and bleed stress out, so he climbed the stoop, up to the front door, and disappeared inside of the house.