𝙿𝙴𝙽𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝙱𝙾𝚇 ;

[dadyl]

𝚃𝙴𝚇𝚃. / 𝚅𝙾𝙸𝙲𝙴. / 𝚅𝙸𝙳𝙴𝙾. / 𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽.

Comments

[minuteofangle]

Humor me. You propose?

[ Details seem like the way to go. Something concrete. ]

[dadyl]

I ain't gotta do shit.

[ But he's panicking inside because he really does not remember. When he reaches to hold onto the details they flee from him. ]

Yes. That's how it happens.

[ Carol certainly hadn't proposed to him. They two of them are way more traditional than that. ]

[minuteofangle]

Where? You take her out to dinner, wear a suit?

[dadyl]

[ It was... yeah, he'd taken her out. Somewhere. It was a long time ago, they were practically kids it must have been, it doesn't matter that he doesn't remember the details. He'll ask her later, she'll remember.

But his heart is beating a mile a minute. ]

Why're you askin all this shit??

[minuteofangle]

You don't remember, do you?

[dadyl]

Fuck you and fuck off.

[ And after a pause: ]

It was over 30 years ago, I'm allowed to forget details.

[minuteofangle]

You remember shit like that. What about what you named your kids, why'd you pick those names?

[dadyl]

Carol liked them.

[ That must have been the reason, right? Daryl would have had no opinion on something like that, but it makes him feel a little better to lie to this guy and come up with an answer than say nothing at all. ]

An its none of your fuckin business. Why're you doin this?

[minuteofangle]

Why? Why'd she like them?

[ It's a theory, but it seems to be holding water so far. Push at the details until something unravels or clicks itself into place. ]

Because you don't know. And if this were really you life, you would.

[dadyl]

Who the fuck are you to tell me what is or isn't my life??

Where dyou get off talkin to me like this?

[minuteofangle]

Nobody. I'm nobody.
But I fucking know you.

[dadyl]

The Hell's that mean? 'Nobody'?

I don't know you an I never did. Get help, man.

[minuteofangle]

[ It smarts like a physical blow. Gabe takes it silently. He has a job to do. ]

You don't remember so I'm nobody.

You know the details don't add up. This isn't right.

[dadyl]

[ Everything about this is so confusing it makes Daryl angry -- an emotion he never otherwise gives in to. He's supposed to be above this, he's never had a problem controlling his temper before. ]

The hell's that mean?

They don't have to, this is my life. The whole thing. So what I can't remember a detail or two? Better than bein batshit like you.

[minuteofangle]

[ Focus on your job, Gabe tells himself. Shut the rest down.

So. He does. ]

What about the first time you saw your kids? I remember everything about when I met mine. Every goddamn detail. So tel me one.  

[dadyl]

In the hospital. Obviously. They're mine, I didn't find em lyin around.

[ The feelings of attachment he has to them are overwhelming and intense. Those didn't come out of nowhere. ]

[minuteofangle]

Details, Daryl. Something concrete.

[ He has no idea if this is working or not, but he has to try. ]

[dadyl]

You're a sick asshole, how's that for a detail.

[minuteofangle]

That's not an answer.

[dadyl]

This is over, whatever it is. Hear me?

If I ever see you in person we're gonna have a real problem.

[minuteofangle]

You already got a problem, Daryl. We should talk face to face.

[dadyl]

No. We shouldn't.

An stay the hell away from my family with all this bullshit.

[minuteofangle]

Sorry.
Really wish I could.  

[dadyl]

[ Daryl stops answering for a long time. He checks in with Carol and doesn't care for the way the questions line up. Nor for how she hadn't been able to give him any more concrete details than he was able to remember about their lives together.

He waits until the family is asleep. ]

You bothered my wife, asshole.

Who dyou think you are, messin with my family like this? It gettin you off?

[minuteofangle]

[ The line goes quiet for a long ass time and Gabe starts wondering what the fuck he's going to do next. Try and cross the border and drag them out by his lonesome, maybe. But even confused and stuck in crazy land, Daryl and Carol are too smart to fall for the obvious tricks. He has a feeling instinct will take over if it comes to a fight and in close quarters he doubts he can take both of them. So what does that leave? He's not good at this shit, convincing people to listen.

But then Daryl responds again. ]

Im not hard up enough to get off on a conversation, Daryl. But I know the two of you. You're too smart not to see things aren't lining up.