a battery of guilt | weekly task

[selby roux !]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]Every time he saw Ivan with the eaglet he had found, Selby grew a little prouder of his son. He knew that Ivan had not wanted to take care of the bird, but he also knew that the raptor surely would have died without his help. All he could do was encourage his child to take responsibility, though he didn’t want to pressure or coerce him into doing so. It was a difficult balance to strike, and Selby was still unsure if he had found it. Ivan was caring for the bird, which had been the desired result, though he was uncertain if it was for the right reasons. Did that really matter, though? In this situation, did the end justify the means? Do the means ever justify the ends. It seemed the questions never stopped. Parenthood was surprisingly full of them.

He watched from a distance as Ivan coaxed the bird from her wooden perch, a fond smile tugging at his lips as he did so. Eventually, the bird flapped down, and he couldn’t contain the ‘whoop!’ of pride that exited his body. Slightly embarrassed by his involuntary display, he came out of his hiding spot and came to congratulate Ivan.

“Good job, Ivan,” he said warmly, brushing the tip of his tail along his side as a greeting. “I’m so proud of you and...” he trailed off, realizing that he wasn’t aware of any name given to the mutated predator. Had he simply not been paying attention? He was certain that he had been. Slowly, he asked, “Have you given her a name yet?”