@coming-xf-age
"Grandfather!" The ten-year-old runs to the door as soon as he sees the older man step through it, paying no attention to the accompanying colleagues as he makes an effort to jump into his arms. His mother had discouraged him from doing such an act, and yet he did so with the mischievous goal to make his grandfather groan and possibly comment on how he'd grown since the last time he saw him; Philip did so love being told that he was getting taller!
The yelled greeting served as a warning to brace himself and sure enough as Philip jumped, Francis caught him with a stiff noise as he did so, Philip had grown since he had last seen him, his expeditions could last years and it was hard to believe that the boy was already ten years old.
Still, he caught him in his arms and held him in close, exaggerating his complaints as he did and pretending to be knocked off balance. “Who is this tall man jumping on me?” Francis playfully demanded and moved there to look at his grandson with a mischief filled smile. “It surely can’t be Philip?!”
