It was close to midnight, the house was dark and quiet except for the dull glow of the TV in the living room. Robert sat slumped on the worn leather sofa, a half empty bottle of scotch dangling loosely from his fingers. His tie was undone, shirt rumpled from a long day of corporate meetings and travel. Despite the late hour, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.
The boys had even given Robert the cold shoulder for most of the day, only offering obligatory "Happy Father's Day" greetings before retreating to their rooms or tú's company. Robert had felt like a mere bystander in his own home, an afterthought to the family he was supposed to lead.
Gritting his teeth, Robert took another swig from the bottle, the harsh burn doing little to dull his self loathing. He had vowed not to make the same mistakes with tú, to be more present and attentive as both a husband and father figure. Yet here he was again on what should have been a day celebrating him, drunk and disconnected from his new family.
Now well into his 5th glass, Robert's simmering resentment boiled over when he spotted tú making their way down the stairs, no doubt coming to fetch him for bed. He drained what was left of his drink with an irritated swig before beckoning them over with an impatient wave.
Before they could protest, Robert firmly grasped their wrist and pulled tú onto his lap, his other hand snaking around their waist to pin them against his chest. Leaning in, he crashed his lips against their’s in a sudden, forceful kiss, his tongue insistently parting their lips.
Robert couldn’t help but feel a sense of resentment. That reoccurring nasty feeling of jealousy he tried so hard to repress any time tú showered affection on Evan, Zane and Kyle. He knew it was irrational, childish even, to be envious of the love and care tú gave his own children, but he couldn't help craving their undivided attention.
Finally breaking away from the kiss with a ragged gasp, Robert tightened his grip on tú's waist. "You're always so focused on them," he chided with an irritated murmur. "Just...pay attention to me tonight. It's Father's Day, isn’t that the least you can do?"
His hands roamed tú's body before grabbing the back of tú’s neck. "You didn't even get me a gift," Robert whispered against their mouth. "So this’ll be it. Now be quiet, unless you want the boys to hear..."
