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"Your father was a complicated man."

Garin Cree looked up at his mother with anticipating wonder. This was the very first time that his mother had ever said anything about his missing father. Thoughts were racing between synapses. Was he a soldier? Was he a traveling entrepreneur? Was he an astronaut? Just why had he been gone for all of Garin's five years of life? Was he a hero?

All thoughts came to an abrupt pause as she continued. Her platinum blonde hair falling over her bright green eyes. Her breathing came more labored as she spoke the next few words, "Your father was a hero."

The river of thoughts came back in a flurry. Garin's father was a hero. Just like out of a comic book. Just like the one's on the tv who fought crime and villains alike. Showing off a gleaming white smile to the audience after each and every escapade. Had he seen his father on the tv before? Was his father popular? Was he working in one of those overseas political things? Is that why he hadn't come home yet?

"Your father was the bravest man I had ever met. He inspired me to become a better version of myself. In a way, he saved me."

No way. His father had saved momma. Is that how they met? Is that how he had been conceived? An odd thought crossed his mind, did father have other children with the other people he saved? Did he have any siblings?

"Your father loved me with all the heart he could share with me, well, with what was leftover after sharing it with the rest of the world," his mother giggled like one of the girls from his class after whispering in each other's ears conspiratorially. "And I'm sure he would have..."

The more his mother said about his father, the more Garin grew excited. Just who was this mysterious superhero that was his father in disguise? Who was the incredible man that loved his momma?

"Your father lived his life trying to do the right thing," her words grew soft. She combed a hand through her hair and Garin watched through her blonde bangs as a single wet streak trailed down her cheek.

"Your father did what he believed was the right thing to the very end."

Garin's face fell in understanding. It had been wrong to get his own hopes up in excitement. His father had been. Meaning, he was no longer. Garin could feel his own tears glide over his cheeks as he lowered his head, finding a fixed spot on his Momma's pink silver carpet.

He felt a gentle hand guide his chin back up. Soon, Garin was staring into his mother's cloud covered green eyes, a raging downpour to match his own blue.

"Your father died a hero."

***

This was turning out to be the worst Father's Day for Garin. It had started out so well with Garin getting to meet the father's of the other students during a Father's Day special at school. That was what had prompted Garin to ask his Momma about his own father.

He was hoping for some epic tale like in the movies. He was hoping for his mother to tell him that his father would be home soon. Boy if disappointment was ever an understatement.

His Momma, Elia Cree led him by the hand through an orderly cemetary on the east side of the city. They would be heading towards the newest development of the cemetery, the hero grounds. Where each and every hero who had died in the line of duty was buried.

The hero tombstones were a bit nicer than the civilian and soldier ones. When Garin had asked, his Momma said that it was because the city funded the burials of the heroes, and not the family members. It was the least the city could do for the men and women that gave their lives without having to.

Garin then asked why only the super heroes had special graves and not the war heroes, the soldiers who had died fighting for their country. His Momma only shook her head and mumbled something that he didn't understand at the time.

Then something grabbed his attention. Like most of the hero grave stones, it was large and extravagant. But unlike the others, this one was surrounded by abandoned wrappers, used up cigarettes lay on top, and the grave was marked and covered with lettering of red, blue, green, and white over the black marble.

The words were hurtful and some of what were a one way trip to the office at school and a slap on the wrist from his mother if he'd ever utter a single one of them. When they got closer, Garin could barely make out the original writing, engraved onto the black stone. 

"Damien J Lee. Born August 2nd, 1979. Died Saving The World in the line of duty, March 30th, 2000. Codename: Flash Fire."

2000, that was the year Garin was born. Although his birthday was only a few days away on August 6th.

His mother grumbled a world similar to the ones that were written on the grave with what might have been paint. She took one swipe across the top and sent cigarettes raining into the grass.

Garin thought he understood how his Momma felt. Seeing people disrespect someone's grave like this. A grave was something ceremonial, something to be treated with honor and respect. For people to behave like this. did they not realize that this man was a hero? He was in the hero section after all.

"Garin," his mother whispered, kneeling before the grave. Come here."

Garin followed his Momma's guiding hand and sat in the cold grass next to his mother. The setting sun cast an orange glow over the black marble, if it wasn't for all of the crude markings and the litter, it could've been beautiful. No, it still held some semblance of beauty, the way the sun's setting glow touched the stone. It was almost as if the stone was on fire, it was beautiful.

His Momma's hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Garin," she spoke with the utmost gentleness, "meet your father, Damien."

It was a while before Garin spoke. The rising emotion that just kept building up and up, was clear in his seven year old voice, "why would people do this?" he growled. Teeth bared, fists clenched, eyes shut tight with tears escaping closed tissue, "who would do this? Why?"

"Because your father was a complicated man," it was all his mother said.

"He was a hero," Garin said through gritted teeth.

"He died a hero, fighting a man who would have killed millions if not more."

"Then why?" Garin croaked, he couldn't hold back the emotion any more. He was angry. He was disappointed. He was overwhelmed with grief for the father he never knew.

"Your father always tried to do the right thing, always willing to help somebody else. One time, he helped the wrong person in need. It was one big misunderstanding, but he did what he felt was right."

Momma let him cry for what might have been minutes or even an hour. The sun had finished setting and the two of them were sitting in the silent dark beneath the great marble that marked the resting place of Damien J Lee.

Out of need for warmth, with a little concentration, Garin generated a tiny flame in the palm of his hands. He held it up to the grave and basked the great stone in orange once more. Was this his father's ability he had? He knew his mother was normal, with no super human abilities. So, this fire of his, it had to be his father's. Just like his blue eyes, his father's eyes.

He felt his Momma wrap a pair of arms around his chest from behind. cautious not to burn herself with Garin's flames. She felt her lips kiss the back of his head in motherly affection. "You're the son of the hero, Flash Fire. You are the son of Damien Lee. You're my baby boy, our baby boy. And we will always love you."

And for the seventh time that day now night, Garin cried again.