5.

    "I don't suppose you're hungry, John," said George. "We can just have another swig of this plain old water and head straight back down. What do you say?"
John responded with a lion's cub roar and curled fingers portraying lethal cat claws.
    "I see," said his grandfather, pretending to be afraid of the great and terrible predator before him. "Then I suppose we had better have a bite, and I don't mean literally so you can keep your slobbering jaws to yourself."
    "Oh, all right," said John, in a kingly English accent. "I shall spare you," and after a royal pause: "This time."

  George proceeded to lay out their picnic on a flat rock that served as a table. Apple slices, potato salad, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, assorted cookies, and a couple of Jupiter sodas emerged from George's pack. John took the plastic containers containing the food items from his grandfather and carefully placed them on the table rock. He then opened each container, setting their lids in a neat stack atop the pack beside him.

    "Well, John," said his grandfather as they situated themselves on their respective rocks and began to eat, "I'm glad we were able to come up here today. I wasn't certain with all the preparation going on at the house that we'd be able to sneak away. Your Mom was very gracious to let her men slip out for a prowl, don't you agree?"
    "Grandpa," John said abruptly, "I don't want to leave tomorrow. I mean, I want to go, but not without you. I talked with Mom about it, but she made me promise I wouldn't ask you to come with us, but I couldn't go without letting you know how I feel."
George remained quiet, knowing it was best to let the boy have his say.
    "I mean, you know me probably better than anybody. It's like you're my Dad and my best friend at the same time. I'm not saying I've stopped thinking of Pop as my real Dad, but he's been, you know, gone so long, I have to really concentrate to remember what he looked like or even what his voice sounded like."