“Your child will follow your example. Not your advice.”

*****************

“Grandpa!” Gina came running, and Roshan’s father stood up from his seat and wrapped his arms around his granddaughter. He lifted her up from the ground and then put her down while chuckling softly.

“My sweet.” He grabbed her face between his hands. “How come you only get more beautiful?”

Gina chuckled. “What grandfather looks like you? You look like my brother.” She told him with a wide smile.

He laughed. Putting his arm around her, he made her sit next to him on the couch. “Where is your brother?” He asked.

Gina shrugged. “Probably somewhere with his friends.”

Darius turned to Roshan. “You should talk to your son.” He said.

His father knew the struggles he had with Zarin. Roshan had tried many methods and nothing seemed to work. The only thing that was left was to throw his son out of his house and make him take care of himself. But then he would just go to one of his many wealthy friends, or maybe even worse, Lucifer. Lucifer wouldn’t miss the opportunity to take in a young lost demon.

Klara and him would have many arguments about how to raise Zarin. It was their first child, and both didn’t know how to be good parents. Klara was a very loving mother. Roshan saw another side of her once she gave birth. He saw the soft, vulnerable side. As both their children grew, Roshan realized he had to be the tough one of them and therefore Zarin would go to his mother when he needed something.

Roshan didn’t mind that Zarin thought he was hard on him. He knew he would appreciate that later, just like he appreciated the way his father raised him.

Darius had raised him well as a single parent. Roshan remembered many times when he hated his father for being hard on him, but when he grew up, he realized it was for his own good. Roshan wanted to be that kind of parent for Zarin. One that pushed him toward the right path. Zarin might prefer his mother now, but hopefully one day he would understand his efforts as a father.

“Father, advise me to do something other than talking. That is not working.”

Talking was not Zarin’s thing. He ran away from talking, let alone listening. Roshan had tried to be a friend and listen to him, but the advice he offered afterwards went into one ear and out from the other one.

It was the same with his mother. Klara had a soft spot for Zarin being their first born. Roshan would blame her sometimes for letting being too kind, but he learned that they had to play different roles as parents and complete each other when they come together. Both of them couldn’t be strict.

Klara was simply the nurturer while he was the one to give structure. But sometimes she even took his role when Zarin went out of line. Roshan couldn’t count how many times she had dragged him to his lessons and stayed there until he finished, or how many times she made him do different chores because he broke her rules.

Both of them hoped it was only a passing phase that all children went through and that once he grew up, he would apply everything he learned from them in his daily life. But Zarin remained the same. Or maybe they got worse.

Now that he was a grownup, he got friends that didn’t affect him positively. They would drink and party and he would end up coming home late or not at all. Roshan didn’t mind the parties, as long as it wasn’t every day and as long as he took responsibility, but that was not the case.

Now that he wasn’t a child anymore, he couldn’t be dragged to lessons. All that was left to do was to keep talking to him and set rules. Rules that were very easy to break when your children were demons. You wouldn’t even notice. Having their demon powers only made the upbringing even more difficult. Consequences of actions rarely worked.

Darius had suggested to throw Zarin out of his house. “He is a man. He should be able to take care of himself.”

Roshan did understand his father’s perspective, but he didn’t want to throw his son out when he was lost. He wanted to keep guiding him. He didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. Should he have let his son leave and learn things on his own?

“You can’t control your children. Sometimes you just have to let them walk alone.” Darius spoke as if reading his thoughts.

His father had offered Zarin to work for him, but even then Zarin declined. Recently Gina asked for permission to work in her grandfather’s business. Darius had been thrilled, and now she was doing an amazing job. Impressing all of them. Maybe seeing his sister now, Zarin would change a little.

“The best thing you can do is set an example for your children. If your son doesn’t want to follow you footsteps, then it is his choice.” Darius continued.

Good example? Roshan had stopped everything bad he used to do. He didn’t even drink anymore. He had never come home intoxicated or late. Just to set a good example for his children. Klara was no exception.

Now, what was left to do?

Roshan felt lost.

The whole family had dinner, and Zarin still didn’t arrive. Roshan went to his room with many thoughts swirling in his head. He had to talk to Zarin again, but he didn’t know what to say. They had agreed that he should be home at dinnertime and eat with the rest of the family.

Klara was brushing her hair when he walked into the room.

“Is Zarin home yet?” She asked.

Roshan shook his head.

She stopped running the brush through her hair and her shoulders sunk. A sigh left her lips. “He is changing.” She said.

Changing? Roshan hoped she meant for the better, but that wouldn’t make sense since he wasn’t home.

“How?”

“I don’t know. He was always been mischievous and hard to handle, but lately I feel there is something different about him.”

If she said so, she was probably right. As a mother, she could see things he couldn’t sometimes.

“He was never the angry type. Not even when we scolded him. He would say he would do it, but then he wouldn’t. But now there is anger in his eyes.” She explained with concern.

It was true that he was angry lately, but Roshan thought it had to do with Heaven. Both him and Klara had told him how mates worked. They had told him he would find his mate one day. Klara went as deep as telling him about her own experience with love and finding her mate. But Zarin didn’t seem convinced.

Roshan knew he would get over it with time.

*****

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