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Leon remembered the moment he found out he was going to be a dad; how fast his heart raced and how he felt like he might throw up. But then, the happiness replaced the panic. He was going to have a baby. Boy or girl, it didn’t matter; he promised right then and there that he would protect them, no matter what.
And he did.
He learned everything he needed to know to take care of his son: how to change his diapers, feed him, put him to sleep. He was lucky that Axel wasn’t a fussy baby. He slept through most nights, except when he was sick.
They were inseparable.
But now, that quiet and happy baby had turned into a defiant teenager who constantly talked back.
He couldn't pinpoint exactly when his son had turned into a troublemaker, but recently he had lost count of how many times the principal had called him to inform him Axel was in detention.
This time he had just started to eat his lunch, when his phone rang and he saw the school's number on the screen, he sighed, wrapped up what was left of his sandwich and headed to the school. In the car he wondered what his child had done this time, perhaps he started another fight or maybe skipped classes again.
He saw Axel in the office, sitting with his arms crossed. The principal didn't bother with greetings this time, just handed him a report with the hours Axel had to stay after classes as punishment.
"What happened this time?" He asked, not knowing what to expect.
"He called the math teacher 'stupid' in front of the entire class" Leon raised his eyebrows but stayed quiet, there was nothing he could say to defend his son, he nodded feeling defeated.
Then turned to Axel. "Let's go"
Once in thr car, Leon gave him a chance to explain. "It wasn't my fault" the boy snapped, still with his arms crossed.
"You insulted your teacher. How is that not your fault?"
"She marked my answers wrong" his voice grew with frustration "I got them right but she didn't like that I used a different method, so she said they were wrong"
He frowned after listening "And you had to call her stupid for that?"
"Because she is, my way made more sense and she couldn't handle it" the teenager scoffed.
He pulled the car in the driveway and let out a long breath. He knew Axel was smart, too smart for his own good sometimes and he had a sharp tongue as well, he got it from his mom, everyday Leon could see how his son resembled Ada more and more.
Trying to keep his emotions in check, he turned to look at the boy "It doesn't matter which method is better, you don't get to insult people when things don't go your way"
"But she started it!" Axel shot back. "Why should I follow her rules if they're dumb?"
"Because she is your teacher, period. Now you will apologize the next time you see her"
Axel rolled his eyes, "whatever." Then put on his headphones to not listen to him anymore.
Leon clenched his jaw, stopping himself from snapping back. He could feel the distance between them growing and it frustrated him that he didn't know what to do to stop it.
They walked into their home. "Go to your room" he firmly ordered. The kid didn't argue, he stomped up the stairs and slammed his door shut.
Leon let himself fell onto the edge of his bed with his elbows resting on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. It wasn’t even nighttime but he felt so exhausted already.
Suddenly, he felt the mattress dip beside him. "What did he do this time" he heard her asking with amusement.
He lifted his head and looked at her beautiful face "A teacher marked his answers wrong and he called her stupid"
Ada hummed "Well... is she?" She asked, teasing.
"I don’t know. And it doesn’t matter. He shouldn’t have said it, and you need to stop encouraging him," he snapped, running a hand through his hair. "This is your fault, you know."
She laughed lightly "You seriously gonna put all the blame on me? If I remember correctly, you're not exactly the picture of calm and restraint either."
"Oh come on! He's just like you, Ada"
She playfully raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Charming and handsome, I hope?"
A chuckled escaped from him. "More like rebellious and frustrating, and he drives me crazy as well."
For a moment, there was silence "I miss him, Ada. I miss how close we used to be. Now, I’m lucky if we have a conversation that doesn’t turn into an argument.”
"He’s growing up, Leon. He’s not the little kid who climbed into your bed every time he had a nightmare. He’s figuring himself out. But he’ll come around. He always does."
"I’m scared," he whispered. "I don’t want to lose him. Like..." His voice cracked and he stopped himself before finishing that thought.
"You're not gonna lose him," she said, taking his hand. "You say he resembles me, but I disagree. I think he's just like you. He always stands up for what he believes is the right thing, like when he fought that bigger bully. He came home with a black eye but still felt proud. Or just last month, when he led that campaign to force the school to make menstrual pads free. He got suspended, but he still got it done. That’s all you. You know his heart is in the right place—he just needs a bit of guidance."
Leon's expression softened when Ada reminded him of those moments. It was true—his son was constantly rocking the boat, but it was his intentions that mattered. Axel did the things nobody else had the guts to do, and even if Leon questioned his methods, he was proud of him.
He had to make peace with the fact that Axel would always fight against everyone, even him, if it meant standing up for what he believed in.
“I wish he could see you,” he muttered. “You’d know what to do. You’d know exactly how to talk to him.”
But Ada shook her head. “He doesn’t need me. He has you. And you’re enough.”
She was right, he was enough. He had to be. Feeling determined, he stood up, ready to talk to Axel once again and find common ground, maybe some ice cream would help.
He reached for the handle, but before turning it, he glanced back toward the bed.
It was empty.
Ada was gone.
"Of course she was gone," Leon thought with a bittersweet smile. He had almost forgotten she wasn't really with him and felt silly every time he expected anything different. He swallowed the lump in his throat and walked out, leaving the room in complete silence.
She visited him again that night, like she always did. Sometimes they talked, but this time, he just looked at her in silence before falling asleep. He had stopped caring if he was going crazy or if he would ever stop pretending she was there.