❝There is no grandfather who does not adore his grandson.❞

— Victor Hugo 

"And you listen to Grandpa. Okay, Billy?"

Mom frowned at Billy like when she wanted him to behave. There was a promise of reprimand and days without his computer if he did not do as she asked him to.

Billy did not really like to have to spend the holiday with Grandpa, but he knew some of the kids around the block. It was not like he would be alone with the old man for the time being.

"It's okay, Mom! I'll behave!" The boy mumbled between his teeth, trying to show a smile he did not feel flashing.

With a last glance at the odd pair, one small boy and one tall and slender old man, Mom said her goodbyes. One wave from the hand, then the car was leaving the driveway.

The silence set between the two who looked at the dust settling down on the gravel path.

"So, Billy," Grandpa started hesitant and hopeful, "how about we get you to settle in your bedroom? Then I have some cupcakes waiting for you on the kitchen counter."

Billy raised his head—Grandpa was really tall—and nodded. He hoped the old man did not hear the big sigh that came through his closed teeth.

"Come, Billy," Grandpa had a big smile on his face. He probably heard the sigh, the boy thought.

"Billy!" The shout came from the trees in front of the house. "Billy! You're there!" A tall boy came running and laughing. Billy remembered Tom from last time he came on holiday at Grandpa's place. Tom was also on holiday, and the house beside Grandpa's was his aunt's.

"Olivia is already here," Tom continued, excited, "Pete and Lola will be here tomorrow, I asked their grandparents. I think Clara also is there, but I didn't see her yet."

Tom was talking a mile a minute. Billy could only smile and cheer hearing his friends were here—or would be soon. Luckily, he would not be stuck with Grandpa. The sun was out and would stay long, his friends were here and...

"Hey, Tom," Billy asked a bit hesitant, "the park is open? I mean, they didn't close the slides or the trail?" He had envisioned many adventures already, and he hoped nothing would get in his way of a fun holiday.

"Tom!"

"That's my aunt calling me for lunch," the taller boy turned towards the trees separating the two houses. "Hey! I come get you after lunch to go to the park. Okay, Billy?"

Grandpa smiled at the two boys and nodded at his grandson.

"Yeh! Sure!" Billy answered excited. This holiday promised to be a blast.

✧✧✧

"Billy! Watch out!"

The afternoon was so great. As soon as Billy had settled in his bedroom at Grandpa's place, he ate a quick lunch, impatiently waiting for Tom to go to the park.

Tom had been munching on a piece of a chocolate cookie as he rang the doorbell. As fast as The Flash, he came running to the neighbour's to get his friend.

The afternoon had been promising, Billy had thought. They had met with Clara and Olivia at the park. The old friendship was new again. Billy found it was easy to get back into the laughter and the banter they used to exchange between themselves just the year before, even if In the life of a ten-year-old, a whole year seemed quite a long time.

"Are you okay, Billy?" Olivia, a petite blonde girl with a bird-singing-like voice was looking at him with worry.

"Oh my God, Billy!" Tome was running toward his friend on the ground, excitement in his voice. "It was incredible! Did you see it? You flew so high in the sky!"

"Silly Tom!" A brunette as tall as Tom joined them. "How could he see himself flying?" She mocked the other boy.

"You sure you are okay?" She asked Billy lying on the ground.

The biggest of the slide was for the bigger kids. Last year, Billy and his friends avoided the giant thing, a bit worried about the speed one would reach when sliding down. If Tom had not dared him to go down, he would have waited a day or two before trying the big slide.

"That was so cool!" he laughed. "It was like flying! I had wings, did you see that!"

Billy had been frightened, but he would not tell his friends so. He could not stop, though. So he just waited to smash the ground, but, in place of the crushing pain, he just felt so light, so free... He flew a good three meters away. Or perhaps it was even four or five.

"Stop grinning, doofus," Clara, the brunette told him off, although she had a knowing smile. Extending her hand, she helped Billy to stand up. All seemed for the better, more worry than harm.

Olivia, the smaller girl, looked still worried about Billy. "Are you sure you are okay?" She asked him concerned.

Boys being boys, Billy didn't feel like letting some worry and a bit of a pain in his arm disrupt his excitement.

The afternoon was great, and all the promises of a fun moment at the park had been fulfilled.

✧✧✧

"You really flew all the way down the slide and into the air?" Grandpa was happy for Billy. Happy that his grandson had rekindled his friendship with the children around. Happy he had an afternoon filled with joy and adventure.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow? Is Tom coming to get you in the morning?" Grandpa would have liked for Billy to spend some time with him, but he knew the boy preferred the companionship of children around his age rather than to spend time with an old man. That is what youth was all about, having fun and adventure at the park with friends.

"Would that be okay if I joined you" Grandpa added, hiding a half-smile.

"Hum..." Billy did not know how to tell Grandpa he would be a bother, Mom had told him to behave. But having an old man around you was almost as bad as getting cooties from a girl.

"It's okay, Billy, I understand ..." Grandpa looked almost pained by Billy's hesitation. Almost, but he started laughing at the boy. "I was jesting."

With the plan for the next day decided, grandfather and grandson went on to prepare the dinner. Billy wanted fries and fish sticks, Grandpa insisted on a salad with grilled meat. They played rock-paper-scissors to decide the menu.

"What did you say, Billy?" Grandpa asked the grumbling kid.

"Nothing!" Billy was a sore loser. "I am sure you cheated!" He accused the old man who was setting on the kitchen counter the ingredients to prepare the salad.

"Who eats salad, anyway," the boy continued in a sulking tone, "I'm not a rabbit! I need fried food to grow up healthy!"

Grandpa posed to look seriously at him. His gaze fixed on Billy, he seemed to ponder his words.

"I am sorry," the old man started to say, slowly.

Great, Billy thought, here comes real food, he convinced himself that Grandpa looked repentant.

"Stop laughing!"

"Fried food to grow up healthy?" Grandpa stammered between his chortling. "Come on, Billy, let's prepare dinner. Fries will be on the weekend, not before."

The menu disagreement was fast forgotten as Billy recounted his flying experience. The boy's enthusiasm was growing with every detail et remembered of the adventure. By the end of the dinner, he was almost convinced he could fly with the pigeons in the park. Words of trees and landing pad and other silliness sounded like he was making plans for testing his new ability in the next days.

"Okay. Enough for today," Grandpa raised from his chair, taking the plates from the table with him. "You help cleaning, young man, and it's straight to the bed. You had enough adventure for the day, you'll do your planning tomorrow."

Billy fell easily into the routine of helping Grandpa around the kitchen as if a year did not have passed since the last time he did so.

Being at Grandpa's place for the holiday wasn't so bad, he thought. His old friends were here, and talking to Grandpa could be fun, as he remembered the previous year and the complicity with the old man.

"I always play computer games before going to bed," Billy tried to convinced Grandpa.

The older man just grinned and answered he had better than computer games.

What could be better than it, Billy wondered. Still curious, he let Grandpa follow him to the bedroom and let him tuck him in bed.

"What's that, Grandpa?" Puzzled, the boy looked at the packet in his grandfather's outstretched hand. "Is that a... book?"

"Take it," Grandpa insisted, "it is better than a computer game, you will see!"

"But..." Billy gaped at Grandpa attentively, looking for a smile or any sign that the old man was joking, "it is a book. What do you want me to do with it?"

"How about you read it? Who knows what you could find as you turn the pages?"

Not knowing how to react, Billy took the thing from his grandfather's hand and nodded. No words could pass his lips.

"You have a good read and a good night, young man!"

Grandpa left the bedroom.

✧✧✧

Billy looked toward the door, almost expecting the old man to come back and telling him he was jesting—Grandpa loved to say jesting. But the door remained closed.

He turned the book in his hands, testing the softness of the cover and the pages with the pad of his fingers. A shudder ran through him. What was he thinking?

Billy threw the book across the room with a frustrated snort.

Lying in his bed, Billy relieved one more time his great flying experience. He pictured the bright sun reflecting in his friends' astonished eyes. He felt the warmth that spread through him knowing he escaped a dangerous situation. He was once more glowering in the admiration of the group around him. All that exaltation fell short, however, the book on the other side of the bedroom nagging at him.

The boy stayed there, on his back, the head turned and his eyes fixed on the intruder.

With a sigh, he slowly raised from his bed and set his foot on the cool wooden floor. A tentative step after another, Billy found himself lifting Grandpa's book from the floor, waving his hand in a reflexive gest of dusting. Book in hand, he stayed there for a moment, not sure about the next action to take.

Shaking his head, Billy opened the book. Turning one page, then another, and started to read.

"Once upon a time... What am I doing!" he almost shouted and threw once more the book on the ground. "Oh no, Grandpa, you won't have me reading this stupid thing!"

Frustrated at himself, Billy jumped back into his bed and pulled the cover above his head. The book resting on the other side of the bedroom, forgotten, the boy fell asleep dreaming of flying from tree to tree, his friends cheering him...