"I'm ready. I'm ready to be the father you always deserved. Please, don't leave me like this. Don't leave without knowing how much I love you… I only stayed away because I thought it would protect your peace. I thought my presence would only bring you pain."
He pressed his trembling lips against Adrian's cold knuckles, weeping openly.
"Don't leave without knowing that I worried about you every single day. I was just too proud… too broken to show it. I called Maya every single day just to ask how you were doing, to know if you were eating, if you were happy… but I never had the courage to call you myself because I didn't think I deserved to hear you call me 'Father.' Please, Adrian… wake up. We still have so much to talk about, son."
His grief suddenly gave way to agonizing confusion. He slowly lifted his head to look at Adrian's peaceful face, horror filling his tear-filled eyes.
"How did this happen?" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Who… who did this to you?"
