"Damon, are you okay?" asked Mr Mucker. He noticed that the young boy was looking gloomier than usual and he kept glancing at him from time to time.
Damon nodded hurriedly almost as if he was afraid that his father would discover the true reason for his mood.
Mr Mucker sighed and squatted down in front of him, "we'll only be away for a few days."
"Can't we come with you?" he asked in a low voice.
Mr Mucker smiled and ruffled his hair a bit. By 'we' he knew he was referring to Maria and himself. He was well aware of the fact that Damon didn't have a really good relationship with Fred however; he attributed that to the fact that Fred has always been a bit too mature for them.
"You can't, it's a seminar for adults. You'll have Maria here to play with."
After giving Damon another pat on the head, he called for Maria, "take care of your brother."
