Re: quicklog, hotel: graham & jake
[Graham wasn't a good man. He'd wanted to be, once, just like his old man, but he'd made his choices and carved his own path; no one to blame for that but him. He knew now that he should've stayed home. Made do, gone on and become a police officer like he'd wanted, raised his boy around family and then Lore would still be alive, Jake wouldn't hate him, everything would be better. But he couldn't change the past. Not even wishes could do that, it was too far behind for him to fix. This boy sitting on the stairs, he wasn't a child anymore and he never would be again. The one thing he would be, always, was his son, even if he had to live on the fringes of his life until the day he went and died and got buried alongside his wife.]
I did leave. [His voice was strained.] I sent you home so you wouldn't get killed, so my folks could keep you safe, and I got out but it wasn't enough. The daughter wanted me dead, if I went back to you or brought you with me she'd have found out and killed you. Even visiting was a risk, but I wanted to see you. [He shook his head.] Then you got older. Grew up. And I thought you'd be better off with your grandparents. Me, I made a lot of mistakes. One thing I could do right as a father was make sure you were safe and that's what I tried to do. Thought it was best, don't you see? All I ever wanted was what was best for you. And now you're here, and-- I missed you.
[Thing was, he could beg and plead and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference. Losing his family, that was his punishment. God's wrath, a God who only knew how to take and not give. Jake asked if that was it and he looked at him, like he was aging by the second.] No. That's not it.