When Drakes Smile (Ethan)

[Lilac Drake]

Look at me she thought solemnly. She just wanted her father to look at her, it was too much to hope for that he might one day love her she knew that... he was just a tough man, but maybe...and this was usually felt around the holidays, maybe just once he could look at her with something other than...revulsion? It was either that or he simply looked through her and she didn't understand.

"Ethan." she said in a tone that was too old for her, a soft look of understanding was in her eyes it was also a look that shouldn't have been there and was a bit heartbreaking to see. Lyla shouldn't have understood that things were strange in their household, she shouldn't have understood that the way their father treated her was very much sub par, and while she didn't understand why he was the way he was, she simply knew he wasn't the man that Lyla needed. " You've always taken care of me. You're the best older brother a girl could ask for...but you're not father...you shouldn't have to be him...why can't he be him?"

[Ethan Drake]

Ethan was a little hurt by this, but for her sake or his, he didn't know.

"It's just the way he is, Lyla," he told her, patiently, in a way he hoped she understood. "He doesn't exactly act fatherly with me either. It's you and me, and when we're home, Mum. That's how our family is supposed to be. It's not going to change."

[Lilac Drake]

She shook her head and tried not to scoff but in comparison it wasn't fair, " He loves you." she said biting her lip, " He adores you..." the male child, the heir, the one that their father knew was his. Ethan was the only one with purpose. Lilac was like this little vacuum that their father had to spend money on to clothe and feed when he would rather simply throw her away. Lyla could only pretend that things were okay for so long.

[Ethan Drake]

"He loves you just as much as he does me. Lyla, he doesn't really understand showing emotion. He favors me because I'm the heir, and that's just the luck of the draw. What has gotten into you?" He asked. He had never noticed her problems wth her father before. Where had all of this come from?

"Lyla, did something happen?"

[Lilac Drake]

She stiffened avoided his eyes and shook her head. She knew it was different with her, and it was cruel of him to blame it on the "luck of the draw", their father didn't love her, and it was apparent. How long was she supposed to pretend that things were fine? Well she would pretend, if that would make Ethan happy, she could pretend.

" No, nothing's happened. I'm ...I'm just being odd. I don't mean anything by it, I just miss home is all, and want to please him when we go back for Christmas." she was smiling but a small shiver crawled down her spine, did she really want to see her father?