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“I’m giving him two,” my grandson said, picking up magnets from the jar on the side, then proudly marking me down. Two red dots.

Goddammit. My previously perfect track record. Two down.

“And one blue one because Granddad serviced Dadda’s car, and it looks lovely.”

Thank you, Gray.

“He should have another red one for not sleeping in his own bed,” Jasmine piped up.

What was this? Mutiny?

“I’m a grown-up,” I said defiantly.

“Rules are rules,” said Gray, winking. Now I wanted to throw another coaster at him.

“So it’s going well?”

“Well…” What kind of question was that? I wasn’t going to sit here and talk about my private life.

“You know you can always ask,” he continued, an amused smile on his face. “I have supplies of every kind, should you need to—”

“No, thank you.” Yes. I was embarrassed. Trying to sink through the floor as Gray just smiled.

Cheeky.

“How long have you known?” he asked.

What was it with people and all these direct questions? Had they no shame?

“Known what?” I asked, brushing invisible crumbs off my tie.

“That you have a thing for hot guys.”

“Gray.” I sighed.

“Honest question, Stew.”

“I don’t know?” I shrieked, making Jasmine sit up and wag her finger at me.

“Indoor voice, Granddad.”

“Perhaps we should have this conversation somewhere else?” I suggested, motioning to the floor, where I was being stared at by four small eyes.

“Nothing they don’t understand,” he said.

I took it back. None of us here were any kind of father of the year.

“It’s nothing… I have…”

Fuck, as Dylan would have said, or at least muttered it under his breath, just the way I did now. I was no better than the grandchildren, picking up bad habits. New words.

Double fuck. I still couldn’t talk about it, even in crude words, and if I was truly honest with myself, a pint would have been good. Cold. Soothing.

“Reuben is right on that part,” Gray said. “This didn’t happen overnight.”

“No, it didn’t,” I managed to croak out, loosening the tie that suddenly felt awfully tight around my neck.

“So what happened?” Reuben. Walking back in like he’d been eavesdropping behind the door. He sat down next to me, picked up his now cold tea, took a sip and grimaced.