𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐲𝐧┃𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐰𝐨

3. 𝐼𝑠 𝐼𝑡 𝑌𝑜𝑢?

Lucifer

I stared blankly at the TV and tried to make any sort of sense out of the mess that was playing. James stuffed his face with waffles and stared brightly at the television. "This shit is so boring," I muttered.

He turned to me and held his hand out without saying a word. As usual, I fished in my pocket for a dollar bill and passed it to him. "I'm going to be a billionaire because of you, Grandpa," he joked.

"Grand-who?" I asked as I sat up from the couch and looked down at him. Sure he and I had gotten closer in our last few years together, but I drew the line at anything beginning with the word "grand-". Unless it's grandmaster, that had a nice ring to-

"Grandpa," he said once again.

James was a good kid so there was no reason for me to ever ground him but maybe it was time. Perhaps my leniency was the cause for his choice of crappy nicknames. I held my finger up in his direction and raised my brow. "I'm warning you-"

"You warned me ten times ago," he said with a full mouth. The boy knew I hated the name so I didn't doubt that's why he insisted on calling me it. My temper over the years had become almost nonexistent so maybe that's why he wasn't afraid.

"Grandparents are old," I argued.

He laughed. "You told me you were thirty. I learned in class today that you were here when the world started!" He ranted excitedly. "You're a dinosaur!"

"A dino-." I coughed loudly and hit my chest to calm down. "Age is nothing, James. I LOOK too young to be called such a thing."

"To be called such a thing like 'Grandpa'?"

"Yes!"

"Okay I'll stop, grandpa," he said.

"You know what? If I hear the word grandpa again, you're grounded," I said sternly. When I noticed him hold back a laugh, my confidence seemed to float away. "I can do that right?"

"Sure you can," he said.

I furrowed my brows and he looked back to the television. "You're so weird," I mumbled. He snickered at my compliment and I sat back down on the couch. James yawned again beside me and I turned to him. "Tired?"

He nodded and rubbed his eyes. "I couldn't sleep again."

"Because of Syn?" I asked and he nodded in response. Ever since Syn died, James had nightmares. He wasn't there when Syn was shot but he did see his body. He stayed awake for nights and whenever he slept, he'd scream out for him. That lasted for a while until I took him to a therapist. Now he still had bad dreams but it was bearable.

Me on the other hand, I'd be lying if I said I was completely fine. I missed my son every day. Anytime I spoke or looked at James, I was reminded of my failings as a father. If I could go back I'd take Syn out of Hell and take him somewhere...happier. Maybe then he'd be alive.

A part of me would always think like that but I let it go for the most part. I could be the parent to James that I never was to Syn. One he would've been proud of.

"I miss him," James said.

"So do I," I said in agreement. "But do you think he'd want us to sit here and bitch about it while watching his favorite show?"

James laughed and shook his head. "No, he wouldn't like that." I smiled and turned my attention back to the TV. "My money please," he requested as he held his hand out.

"What?"

"You said the b-word."

I groaned and laid another five-dollar bill in his hand. I had no idea why I agreed to do this shit when I knew I had a sailor's mouth.