The Good in Sin

A Cold Surprise

When Autumn finished her work, Phoenix was sleepily holding up a conversation with Sin. 

Autumn had changed her clothes and let her hair down, and coming by Sin's table she kneeled down beside Phoenix and brushed his hair back. "Hey Mr. Delirious." She said, and the little boy rubbed his eyes.

"I'm not delirious. I'm perfectly aware." He said sleepily. 

She looked to Sin, who watched them carefully. "Thanks for keeping him company." She said.

"It's no problem. He's a cool kid." Sin replied. 

Autumn stood up and told Nix it was time to go. He stood up, and looked at Sin.

"See ya, Kid." Sin said. 

Instead of a fist bump, Phoenix threw his arms around Sin in a tight, unexpected hug, and Autumn was taken back for a second. She was so shocked. Phoenix never hugged anyone else but her, and a few times would take hugs from Jenna, but throwing his arms around anybody other than Autumn was rare. Watching as Sin was unsure what to do she chuckled, and watched how Sin patted Phoenix's back and said he'd see him later.

Phoenix let go, and grabbed his mother's hand, sleepily walking with her out of the cafe. Not before Sin offered to walk her out.

She hefted a drowsy Nix up and carried him out, seeming to do so with ease although he was an eight year old boy.

Sin asked if she'd be alright to walk home on her own. Autumn insisted she would.

"Have a good night, Autumn." Sin kindly said as they parted ways along Lovebird Lane, where the big oak tree began to lose it's leaves. The night was chilly.

"Thank you. You as well, Sin." And she made it home safely.

...

The next few days Sin had been absent- and Phoenix was terrified. A few days had changed to two weeks, and Phoenix missed his older friend like he was dead. He'd look around constantly at the diner and try to find him, but never did. Autumn tried to tell him not to worry about it, but one night upon wondering if he was truly safe, Phoenix went into Autumn's room and cried. He confessed to Autumn that Sin had been the one he played with those days when he escaped to adventure, and instead of being angry, she was confused. She tried to understand how she had been so bad at parenting she didn't even know who it was her son was playing with, and chastised herself with regard to being a terrible mother.

"Nix, I'm sure he's fine." Autumn told him, and he cried onto her. He didn't cry often, but she wasn't too worried because there were scarcely any tears.

"I know I've only played with him twice, but he's the best best-friend I have."

She soothed him, and promised he'd be back soon. She wasn't sure if it was the truth, but that Tuesday when Phoenix came to the diner after school, a very special man walked through the door while Phoenix was talking Jen's ear off.

Autumn saw him and watched as he leaned against the bar and nudged him, causing the child's face to brighten enormously. Phoenix's voice could've been heard from a million miles away when he cried "Sin!" And he jumped on the handsome man in a big hug.

Sin chuckled along with most people in the diner and hugged him back, and Autumn felt strange. She wasn't sure what to do, so of course she let it happen, but wanted to smile at Sin's sudden affections to her son. Avoiding watching for too long, Autumn wondered to herself about the image of her son in Sin's arms. He held Nix like he truly missed him while he was away, and it warmed her with happiness that someone she didn't even know cared for her son that way.