I was having fun. There. I admitted it to myself. I did not have so much fun in a long while. Might even be that I did not have this much fun ever since Shannah got diagnosed. The mood was as it should be, light and joyful. No one was staring at me anymore. Reynard was busy unwrapping his presents, and I was talking with my daughter. "So, you deny that I ever caught you in the ally? Do you have amnesia or something? I almost had to booby trap the place because it was attracting vermin. Did you know the neighbors' kid once stood in front of our door with a used condom in his hand? Wondered if we had lost it. As he had found it in front of our fence door." I laughed, and she blushed. Staring daggers into me while ensuring Edmund the CEO that I had a very vivid imagination. I did, but that one hundred percent happened.

She had a stunning look. Her eyes were cold blue like mine, her hair was brown like her mother. The angular shapes of her face she also got from her mother. Shannah had been a similar beauty back in the day. But Norma was even a step above that. With her almost forty she still outshone many of her much younger peers. The little lines on her face only making her feel riper instead of old. Her body fit and streamlined with curves in all the right places.

I pitied the poor sod who thought she would go for him alone for all eternity. As beautiful as she was, she needed equal amounts of freedom. It had been like that from an early age. I was about to tell a similar anecdote that involved one of the other neighbors and how Norma had tricked them into playing "Doctor". But Reynard came running towards me, a smile plastered on his face. Holding a weirdly shaped helmet.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Look what I got for my birthday! Now I can be just like grandpa and train people!" I frowned a little. I had seen plenty of the weird looking helmets. Digitization. The leading cause of death of my best friend. But I could see the allure in it. Not getting wet. Not getting dirty. Never having to move from your couch. Lazy bastards. Humanity had become lazy bastards as a species. The kid though, was as innocent as my beloved grass so I couldn't help but smile. A wry smile. It was more than George had gotten when he told me the news he was going digital.

"What do you have there, little Rey? Show it to grandpa and aunty Norma." I said in my grandfather voice while I winked at Norma. She hated being called aunty. She accepted Georges' treatment as much as I did. I was just more outspoken in my objections. For little Rey, she would take a bullet. I knew the moment I saw that look in her eyes. A look of love. Many men craved it. None had ever gotten it except for little Rey, and maybe on some special occasions, myself.

"It's a digitize helmet grandpa! It helps you get into the digital world! This is so cool! I can play with my friends! Maybe play T.E.A.M and be as good as grandpa! That would be sooo cool! Do you have one too grandpa? I bet you are already in the celestial league, aren't you? Man… I will never get that high… Grandpa, you're so awesome!

Somewhere in the middle of his little list of questions, the doorbell rang, but I didn't care to look who came into the room. I had complete focus on the ramblings of the small child. He thought the world of me. I wonder how long that would last. As little Rey finished his little questions, he ran back into his circle of friends. Not even waiting for me to answer any of them. I only smiled as he held the weird helmet into both his hands like a trophy. Running around with it, showing it to people.

"Are you Walton Myatt?" A deep voice took me away from my admirations of little Rey's youth. I looked up. Two men in uniform were standing in front of me. The PoPo. That bitch called the fucking police on me. On her own son's fucking birthday.

"That is me, officer," I spoke in my old and frail tone. The one I used to get out of stuff because I'm old. "You are in direct violation of your restraining order sir, we would like you to come with us." Fuck. The fucking lunatic had filed one years back, but I had totally forgotten about it.

I tried to put my confused face on "Is that necessary sir? I'm an old man. Here to see my grandson. I even got an invitation," while I said those things I got the invitation out of my pocket. The fool of a police officer almost drew his firearm. I'm seventy fucking four, Jesus man. The older officer looked at the younger lad and shook his head before saying "Sir, please refrain from getting things from your pocket and step outside with us. We can solve any issues at the station." I let out a loud sigh but still got up.

I looked at the crowd and saw the bitch smiling at me somewhere in a corner. Holding the hand of my dickless son who stared at the ground. Two meters to the right, little Ray stared at me with big eyes. In them was a little fear but strange enough even more adoration than before. Guess she didn't go home with the win today. I smiled and winked at him before turning to leave with the cops.

Once out of the door I heard Norma yelling "You got my fucking father arrested? Are you fucking serious? Who the hell do you think you’re you crazy bitch! And you! Moronic brother of mine. Have you lost all your self-confidence? You can get ten times better than this pig. Damn, the only reason I'm still coming is little Rey, but this.. This is low even for you. You know how much he sacrificed to get you where you are now?"

It was quiet for a little. It was true. She was one hundred percent right. But the chances she would ever see little Rey again just went down by ninety-nine percent. I would rather she had not reacted like that. At least one seminormal adult could function as a role model for the child. Now, little Rey could only depend on the two loonies.

As I got pushed into the police car, I saw Norma run out of the house. Her CEO following. His eyes big with surprise. She yelled as the door closed "Don't worry dad I will come to pick you up at the station."

Thus, ended the happy moment. Looking out of the window of a police car. Would they also have a non-smoking policy?