The big penthouse was very quiet. The only sound was Liam tapping his fingers on the glass table. Theodore sat in a large chair. He looked at papers about money and business. But his mind was not on the papers. He was thinking about other things.
His son was very smart. Sometimes too smart.
"Dad," Liam said. He threw a pen across the room. It spun in the air. "Did you know something funny? Mrs. Green's cat is more famous than you on the internet."
Theodore did not look up from his papers. "Does that matter to you?" he asked.
Liam crossed his arms. "It should matter to you. You are a very important man. You have so many companies. But a cat has more people watching it online. People might think you are not cool anymore."
Theodore's mouth moved a little. It was almost a smile. Liam was always like this. He was very clever. He was not afraid to say what he thought. It reminded Theodore of another person. A person from a long time ago. The memory was not a happy one.
"Be careful how you talk to me," Theodore said. His voice was low. "I worked very hard to build everything we have."
Liam just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, Dad. But you can't buy internet fame. A cat is beating you."
This time, Theodore did smile. It was a small smile, but it was real. He and his son laughed together. It was a nice sound in the quiet room.
Theodore watched Liam. His son was only ten years old. But he thought like a grown-up. He understood things other children did not. And he always said exactly what was on his mind. It kept Theodore alert.
Later, they ate breakfast. Theodore made the food himself. He did not want anyone else to cook for his son. They had simple food. Scrambled eggs and toast.
After they ate, Theodore walked Liam to the car. The car would take him to school. Liam talked the whole way through the big lobby. He talked about his school project. He talked about a new game he wanted. He talked about the other children in his class.
"Some of the kids are very smart, Dad," Liam said, his eyes bright. "I think they want to take over the world someday."
Theodore fixed his tie. "You should be careful, Liam. If you say things like that, no one will want to work for you when you grow up."
Liam grinned a big grin. He leaned against the car door. "Then maybe I will hire you, Dad. You can't have all the good ideas without sharing them."
Theodore shook his head. His son was brilliant. And cheeky. And brave. He was just like... his mother.
---
On the other side of the city, Nancy was already busy. The sun was just starting to come up. Her office was at her company, Andersen Bio-Solutions. It was a busy place. People moved quickly. Phones rang. But Nancy moved through the chaos easily. She was used to handling pressure.
Her daughter, Ava, walked right behind her. Ava's small backpack bumped against her back with every step.
"Mom," Ava said, her voice serious. "If my teacher, Mr. Henderson, says I am lazy again for not doing my homework, I have a plan."
Nancy looked down at her. "What is your plan?" she asked.
Ava slid into a chair. She acted like the normal rules did not apply to her. "I will invent a machine," she announced. "A machine that does homework for you. Then no one can call me lazy."
Nancy smiled. She reached out and fixed Ava's ponytail. It was messy, as always. "You would probably get in trouble for that," she said gently. "Or maybe the machine would be too good. Then you would forget how to learn."
Ava gave her a look. It was a strong, fiery look for such a young girl. "Or," she said, "I would be the first kid ever to do it. I would win a big prize. You should remember my name, Mom. I am going to be famous."
Nancy laughed and touched her daughter's hair. Ava was so bold. So quick with her words. She was smart, like her mother. But Nancy could see something else in her daughter. She saw a child who had to be strong too early. Just like Nancy had to be strong when she was young.
For breakfast, Nancy let Ava choose what to eat. This always made Ava happy. It made her feel powerful. As they ate, they looked at Ava's school project. It was a small model that cleaned dirty water.
"This is very good," Nancy said, looking at the model carefully. "You did a good job. But remember something important. Even the best plans can have problems. You have to check all the small parts."
Ava rolled her eyes. But she was still smiling. "Mom, you don't need to give me advice. You need to see that it works. Look! The water goes through. That means I did it. You worry about everything too much."
Nancy laughed again. The sound filled the kitchen. This girl, her amazing daughter, was her whole world. Ava was the reason Nancy worked so hard. She was the proof that Nancy had made the right choices.
But sometimes, when she looked at Ava's face, a cold fear touched her heart. She saw a familiar stubbornness in her chin. She saw a familiar intelligence in her eyes. What would happen if the past found them? What would happen if the man she left behind ever discovered the truth?