Safe Hands

23. Who cares?!

"Morning, Dad," Julian muttered as he strolled into the dining area and met Alex, who was on his phone. The man looked up and smiled at his son.

"Morning, buddy," he responded, pulling Julian into a small hug. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon filled the room as Julian reached for a plate.

"So how was your week? You were so excited to read the series of 'Lord of the Rings' that you forgot to tell me yesterday," Alex added, glancing at the boy who frowned at his plate.

"Oh, yeah, the book is awesome, thanks, Dad. And my week was great." He smiled tightly, briefly meeting his father's eyes before returning to his breakfast.

"Are your friends coming over today?" Alex probed.

Julian shook his head as if holding back a sigh. "No, we have a test on Monday, so..."

Alex nodded. Before he could probe further, Russell burst into the kitchen, his excitement palpable.

"Uncle Alex, you have to see this!" Russell exclaimed, holding up a video game. "The game you bought me is amazing! I spent all night playing it. The graphics, the storyline—it's all so cool!" He exclaimed.

Alex chuckled, ruffling Russell's hair. "I'm glad you like it, buddy. Just make sure you're not neglecting your sleep."

"Yeah, yeah," Russell waved off the comment, his enthusiasm undiminished.

"How was your week?" Alex asked.

Russell pulled a seat for himself as he rolled his eyes. "Well, great, just that Grayson ruined part of it. With all those stunts he pulled in class and our name being associated." He shook his head.

Alex frowned. "You don't get to say that about your cousin, Russell. Did you help him out? Are you guys doing your homework together?"

Russell choked. "Sorry, Uncle, but no, never." He reached for a plate while Alex glared lightly at him.

Before Alex could speak, Grayson shuffled in, his hair in disarray, with bangs all over his brows and eyes shadowed with exhaustion. He barely acknowledged the group as he pulled a seat for himself.

"Morning, Grayson," Alex greeted, trying to sound upbeat.

"Morning," Grayson mumbled, grabbing a slice of toast. Russell muttered something under his breath, earning a stern look from Alex.

Damien joined them shortly after, taking his seat and giving everyone a nod. "Good morning, everyone. So, any plans for the summer vacation?"

Julian perked up at the mention of summer. "I was thinking we could go camping. It's been a while since we did something like that."

"Yeah, as long as nobody is scared of bugs," Russell agreed while directing his stare at Grayson.

"Camping sounds great," Alex added, glancing at Grayson, who seemed lost in his own world. "What do you think, Grayson?"

Grayson did not bother looking up as he gave a shrug. "Whatever."

Alex frowned, concerned about Grayson's demeanor. He decided to address it later, not wanting to push the boy too hard in front of everyone.

**********

Alex pulled into the parking lot. Russell and Julian got out and strolled back into the house. The service was great, and the boys looked encouraged and excited to begin their week with all the preacher had said. However, when Grayson tried stepping out, Alex grabbed his hand.

"Let's go for a drive," he said, staring right at Grayson, who paused but shrugged, buying into the idea. The ride was silent for a while as Alex navigated the road. Unable to hold his concerns in, Alex decided to break the silence.