Lost and Found

by Orson Scott Card

Something occurred to Ezekiel for the first time. “Are you, like, not dating anybody because of me?” Father laughed and shook his head. “You don’t get over a woman like your mother in a mere nine years.” “Especially not when you spend all your time either working or looking after a kid.” “Ezekiel,” said Dad. “Earning a living for us and spending time with you isn’t keeping me from anything I want to do.” “I think it is,” said Ezekiel. “OK, yes, it is,” said Dad. “It’s keeping me from despair.” “Oh, so I’m, like, your therapist?” “Ezekiel,” said Dad, “you’re my purpose. That day in the hospital, I lost your mother, but I still had this boy, this strange and wonderful, injured, broken boy.” “I didn’t have a scratch on me, Dad. The car took her and left me there beside the road. Untouched.” “The woman who had devoted her whole life to you, from the moment she knew you were inside her, that woman was torn out of your hands. Your body showed no injury that the doctors could treat, but I knew it was there, I knew that it shattered you, you were maimed, you were crippled that day, and there was nothing I could do, I couldn’t replace her, I couldn’t change my whole character and become that vibrant, happy, loving, chattering, kind and generous person in whose circle of light you had spent your entire life. She was gone, and you were broken.” And at that moment, as tears streamed down Father’s face for the first time in, like, ever, Ezekiel understood something that had never reall...

Damn you Orson Scott Card. #DadGoals Beautiful passage that makes the rest of the book, that I haven't yet read, WORTH reading. Gah.