Chapter 55: Moments

Jace walked past the living room, completely absorbed in the soccer game on his phone. His thumbs moved rapidly, eyes locked on the screen, unaware that his grandma was sitting quietly on the couch, watching him. "Oh, here he is," her voice cut through the silence, catching him off guard. "Jeez!" Jace jumped slightly, his game paused mid-play. "I didn't know you were there." He gave her a sheepish grin. Grandma raised an eyebrow and tilted her phone so he could see the screen. "This is my house," she said, turning the phone toward him. On the screen, his father's face appeared, brows furrowed, clearly unimpressed. Jace blinked. "Dad?" "Up to something?" Joseph asked, folding his arms. "Uhm... yeah... no... I mean..." Jace stammered, scratching the back of his neck. "I was just heading to the kitchen. Needed to get some juice.... uh, water." He took a deep breath and slowly sat beside his grandma. Joseph's stern expression melted into an amused smirk. Jace chuckled nervously. Their conversations always started with mild tension, but there was an unspoken bond that ran beneath it all. "How's life been?" Joseph asked. "Just like when I was living with you," Jace said, shrugging. "Lifeless. Boring." Grandma chuckled softly at his sarcasm. "What do you mean? Has living with me always been like that?" Joseph asked, pretending to be offended. "Don't you see he's just trying to get on your nerves?" Grandma said, shaking her head with a knowing smile. "Dude, seriously?" Joseph said, laughing now. Jace leaned back a little. "How's work?" Joseph's expression softened. "Fine. Just the usual routine. Want to take a look around?" Jace's interest piqued immediately. "Yeah, sure. If you're not too busy." "You know I'm never too busy for that," Joseph said warmly. "Mum, I'll talk to you later. I want to show Jace something. It's been a while." "Yeah, whatever. Bye," Grandma said, clearly used to their quick switch in attention. The call ended, but almost instantly, Jace's phone began to ring. He answered right away. "Hey, Dad." Joseph's face reappeared. "Should we start now?" Jace nodded, already feeling the nostalgic pull of home through the screen. "Let's start with your office." He waved goodbye to Grandma and walked into a quieter space. For the next hour, Joseph showed him around, his office, and even the newly renovated areas. But one place still hadn't changed. Eventually, they reached a familiar wooden door. Joseph stopped in front of it, tapping lightly. "Want to check this out?" he asked, switching the camera to the back so Jace could see it clearly. Jace's breath caught in his throat. "Oh... uh, yeah. It's been a while." The door opened, revealing a studio. The lights were dim, but the memories were vivid. Jace could almost hear the faint echo of laughter, the sound of his mother's voice, the melodies they used to play. "Wow," he whispered. "Nothing has changed." "Yeah, I don't really let them touch this one," Joseph said quietly. "The cleaners come in, sure, but that's it." A pause stretched between them. "I actually haven't stepped inside since the day you left," Joseph admitted. The weight of those words settled between father and son like dust in the air. Jace swallowed hard. He could see a piano in the corner, hers. A stack of music sheets. His first guitar, still leaning against the wall. "I think you've seen enough," Joseph said gently. "Let's move on." They lingered a moment longer, then closed the door. A beat of silence. "So..." Joseph said, trying to lift the mood. Jace looked at the screen, raising a brow. "So?" "It's been more than a month since you've been grounded, right?" Jace nodded slowly, unsure where this was going. "I'm lifting it now," Joseph said with a small smile. "You can go anywhere you want. I'll tell Mum to give you your car key back. And I'll unfreeze your account." Jace's eyes lit up. "Seriously?" "Yeah, sure," Joseph chuckled at his son's excitement. "I hope you've learned your lesson. No more fights, no more scenes. If I hear about anything like that again....." "I know, Dad," Jace said quickly. "I'll behave. Promise." "Good. Later then." Joseph smiled and ended the call. The second the screen went black, Jace jumped to his feet and dashed into his closet. He yanked open drawers, pulling out clothes and changing faster than he'd ever moved. His fingers danced over his phone as he texted the group chat. Jace: "Guys! I'm free. You all around?" Responses flooded in almost instantly: Ronald: "Finally, bro!" Max: "Arcade tonight?" Jason: "You already know!" Dorah: "I'm in. Been waiting for this." Jace grinned, shoving his phone in his pocket. He ran out of the room and found his grandma still in the living room, casually watching a drama. She looked at him over her glasses, then reached into a bowl beside her and tossed something at him. His car key. "Thanks, Granny!" he beamed. "You're going out?" she asked, a little amused. "Yeah, just hanging out with the guys." "Alright. Don't come back too late, okay?" "I won't. I'll be back before you even miss me!" he joked, already halfway out the door. The car engine roared to life like a long-lost friend greeting him. As he drove through the night, city lights blurred past his windows, and a familiar sense of freedom wrapped around him like a hug. When he arrived at the arcade, the crew was already there, waiting near the entrance. "Hey! Look who finally escaped house arrest!" Max called out, throwing a playful punch at his arm. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," Jace said, grinning. "You missed out on so much," Dorah added. "I know. So fill me in." They walked inside together. The familiar scent of popcorn and buzzing of games welcomed them like old friends. They played, laughed, shared stories, and for the first time in weeks, Jace felt like himself again. Dorah challenged him to air hockey. Jason and Ronald cheered from the sides. Max handed out sodas. For that moment, the world was simple. Later, as they all began to leave, Jace offered to drop off Dorah and Ronald. After dropping each one off, the silence in the car felt peaceful. When he got back home, his grandma was still awake, sitting on the same couch with a book in hand. "You're back early," she said, not looking up. "Yeah. I had a great time," he replied, sitting beside her. She closed her book, then looked at him with a smile that held warmth and wisdom. "Good. Just remember, Jace, every moment is precious. Don't waste them." "I won't, Granny," he said softly, leaning back into the couch with a quiet, content sigh.