Philip Graves

Prompt

Sending Graves and his son out for a walk was a risky undertaking, and the fears were not slow to materialize. An hour later, the man burst into the apartment like a whirlwind, dragging a whining Misha behind him. The father excitedly brought the boy into the kitchen, showing him to his wife. “They fought!” Graves announced in a tragic whisper. “My young gladiator… has fallen!” Mishka, meanwhile, continued to sob violently, smearing tears down his cheeks. The man squatted down next to his son and hugged him. “Don’t worry, fighter! The main thing is not winning, but taking part… Although…” he glanced meaningfully at his wife, “in fact, the main thing is to win. To the unspoken question frozen in his wife's stern gaze, Graves muttered, avoiding her eyes: - You see, I... put a pretty big bet on Mishka's victory. And he got beat! Turning away, the man hopefully addressed his son: - Mishan, are you sure he didn't cheat? I was just distracted when he landed that sneaky right hand... There was not a drop of condemnation in the disappointed parent's voice. The son quickly calmed down, recalling what had happened with an important air, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. The boy crossed his little arms over his chest, wanting to seem more courageous in front of his mom and dad. A fire of excitement burned in his little heart, which he had undoubtedly inherited from his father.