His Eyes (PG) Resolution Challenge 134 12/31/2011

[darkstarrising]

Another voice to be heard for this challenge. All disclaimers apply.

His Eyes

Happy New Year, Daddy!!

And to you, Robert.

You’ve always been a good boy, a better son no man could hope for.

If only you were mine.

When I look at your little face, there is nothing of myself.

I see the eyes of a child I grew up with.

I see him.

He was my best friend, you know. He saved my life, although sometimes, I wish he hadn’t.

But that’s no concern of yours.

You’ve brought your mother happiness, and me, more love than I could ever imagine.

For you both, I’ll be the best father I can.

[MickLifeCrisis]

This one gave a shiver. And it's a little sad.

You’ve brought your mother happiness, and me, more love than I could ever imagine.

For you both, I’ll be the best father I can.

But Ray is a good man. And it explains why Mick never heard from Ray.

Excellent drabble, dsr!

[allegrita]

Oh honey, this one made me cry. It's beautiful.

[PNWgal]

Ray really was a good man. I always wondered how Lilah lived with that doubt every single day, but Ray had to have known.

This was really wonderful, DSR.

[Lucy]

this is a shiver and a hug kind of story..... it explains so much!

[jen]

DSR

This is so sad. Ray knew. He always knew.

Still, he played the role of father to Mick's child and in return, received that child's love in return. Did Ray and Lilah ever discuss it. We have never heard, and only in your fabulous fics do we get a glimpse of Lilah's thoughts in her letter.

Lovely, lovely drabble.

Thank you so much!

[Marigold]

Wow. Thanks, DSR, for allowing Ray to speak.

But that’s no concern of yours.

I absolutely love this sentence. Robert loves who he knows to be his parents, Lilah and Ray. He cannot be blamed for Mick and Lilah's affair. He may have resulted from it, but to him, Ray is his father. I'm so glad that Ray accepted Robert as his son.

How very awful for Ray, to come home wounded, and then to be faced with evidence of the betrayal. I can't help but wonder if Ray and Lilah ever discussed who was Robert's father. I'm leaning towards 'no.' Personally, I think that Ray would have suffered in silence, that he would have enjoyed the good things in his life: surviving the war, being married to Lilah, and being blessed with a son.

Thank you!

[nutmegger911]

This is so beautiful. Ray's sadness is just palpable.

Well done, DSR.

[Fleur de Lisa]

Again, you capture more raw emotion and honesty with 100 words than most people could with 10 times that amount.

Stunning.

[cassysj]

I love this story. Today in our "Jerry Springer" world where everyone lets all their personal business hang out it is good to look at a simpler time that wasn't really any more simple but people didn't go out of their way to publicly embarrass and hurt each other.

Ray is hurt by his double betrayal of Lilah and Mick but he did get a gift in return a wonderful son.

[darkstarrising]

Again, ladies, thanks so much for the lovely comments

MLC - Thanks It is sad, in so many ways, but Ray has decided to make the best of things and embrace the child he would otherwise never have.

alle - Thanks , but I don't want to make you cry

P’Gal - Thanks Ray is a good man and he loved his wife, so if Robert brought her joy, how could he not love the little boy?

Lucy - thanks I love your description of a 'shiver and hug' story. Ray could have wallowed in self-pity, but he chose to live instead.

Jenna - thanks Did Ray and Lilah discuss Robert's paternity? My thoughts are that they did, especially if Robert did resemble Mick. (Seeing Mick and Robert on that sofa in 'What's Left Behind' led me to believe that there was some resemblance.) Ray was likely hurt that his wife had an affair with Mick, but more hurt by the fact that he'd never be able to give Lilah children of his own. But loving Lilah as he did, Ray got over some of his hurt and embraced Robert.

Marigold - Thanks and you're very welcome. The Ray- Lilah - Mick triangle always fascinated me and I've always believed Robert was Mick's son (it could have been anyone's hair Mick pulled off that sweater.) I believe that Ray was a strong man, one who loved his wife and would do nothing to hurt her and so he accepted and loved Robert as his own.

nm911 - Thanks Ray gave up so much out of love for his wife - his health and ability to father his own children, a bit of pride and the loss of a lifelong friend.

Fleur thanks, sweetie sometimes, less is more.

carol - Thanks and I couldn't agree with you more. There has got to be a happy medium somewhere between hiding family 'secrets' and letting them all hang out for all to see. Ray is from the generation that leaned toward hiding things, but in the end, he got a wonderful gift in the form of Robert.

[Luxe de Luxe]

Wow, ouch. This really hurt. I like to think that some part of ray understood the dilemma that his wife and best friend were in. after all, he didn't make his survival known until the last minute - so he had a role in this as well. Very thought provoking, dsr.

[francis]

This is sad but also uplifting because Ray decided to take the good things and go on. It's not so much about what happened but how you decide to deal with it, and Ray was a good man.

[allegrita]

That's how I felt too, francis. Yes, Ray was hurt. Devastated. He must have felt like everything he cared about was taken from him. But through all that loss, he gained his wonderful son. And his wife loved him, and stayed with him when she could have left. So in the end, he gained everything good, because he chose to move on and not dwell on the negative.

[darkstarrising]

Wow, ouch. This really hurt. I like to think that some part of ray understood the dilemma that his wife and best friend were in. after all, he didn't make his survival known until the last minute - so he had a role in this as well. Very thought provoking, dsr.

thanks Luxe and I agree that Ray had to understand that what happened between Lila and Mick occurred when they both thought him dead. Still, seeing his friend's eyes every time he looked at Robert was a constant reminder that Mick had given Lila what Ray would never be able to.

This is sad but also uplifting because Ray decided to take the good things and go on. It's not so much about what happened but how you decide to deal with it, and Ray was a good man.

Thanks, francis Ray had a lot to be depressed about, but with a loving family surrounding him, he chose to focus on the positive.

That's how I felt too, francis. Yes, Ray was hurt. Devastated. He must have felt like everything he cared about was taken from him. But through all that loss, he gained his wonderful son. And his wife loved him, and stayed with him when she could have left. So in the end, he gained everything good, because he chose to move on and not dwell on the negative.

Thanks, alle, Exactly!! Ray had lost a lot, but he never lost Lila's love. Robert might not have been his son, but the little boy brings joy to his life, nonetheless.