Seb and Robert playing a board game and talking about Aaron.
“Don’t think I didn’t see that.” Seb giggles as he moves his counter back a few spaces. Once upon a time a rainy day playing board games would’ve been his idea of hell but now he relishes the time they have, just the two of them. “You’ve got to be sneakier than that, mate.”
“Aaron says being sneaky is bad.” He sucks up some more juice from his carton with just a turn of his head, not moving any more than he has to, one of Aaron’s influences. They’re stretched out on the floor and he’ll suffer tomorrow when his back aches, playing Snakes and Ladders and he’s pretty sure it’s his from when he was a kid.
Seb had appeared at his side with the tattered box in his hands a little way into the afternoon as he tried to finish off a bit of work. He could never say no to him though, so here he was, getting roundly beaten by his son and not minding one bit.
“Well Aaron is right. Your turn.”
“Dad?” He says when he’s made his move, tongue poking out between his lips the whole time as he concentrated.
“Yes?”
“I heard Aaron crying last night.” It’s said so matter of factly that it stops him in his tracks a little and he has to make himself answer. “Is he sad?”
“You don’t have to worry about that Seb.” He’s right though, that’s why he’s not here, taking himself off for the afternoon, needing space, both of them knowing that nothing can help, he needs to just have some time. “Aaron’s ok, promise.”
“When I’m sad you give me a cuddle and make it better.”
“Tell you what, when he comes home you give him a big Seb cuddle, yeah?”
“Ok. Why did he go out? It’s raining.” Seb hates the rain, has never liked it, used to scream the place down if they took him out in it, even just to get in the car. Even now it’s a battle, and he’d much rather stay inside.
“Sometimes when he feels sad Aaron just wants to be on his own, go for a walk or a drive.” It had taken Robert a long time to get used to it, always wanting to make sure he was ok, that he wasn’t just pushing him away. “You know how you go down to your den at the bottom of the garden? Well it’s kind of like that.” Not really, but it was the easiest way he could explain it to a five year old.
He’d followed him once, the worry making him do it even though he knew Aaron would be mad at him. He’d followed all the way up to the top of the hill behind the village, found Aaron sitting on a wall not far from the little car park. It was the peace he said, just quieted everything. It was enough to put his mind at rest, and now he just waited until he was ready to come home.
Seb doesn’t say anything else, but Robert can tell he’s thinking as they carry on playing. They’ve barely finished playing and putting everything away when he hears the door open and Seb’s on his feet running to meet Aaron.
He doesn’t even get in the door before Seb’s hugging him tight, Aaron’s hands coming to the back of his head, eyes meeting Robert’s. He walks over presses a kiss to his temple as he hears Seb telling Aaron that it’s ok if he’s sad, that he can use his den, which is really the cleared out garden shed, if he doesn’t want to go out in the rain anymore
“You alright?” He asks like he always does.
“Yeah, I am now.”
