𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋: 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 ✔️

Fifteen years ago.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO

Carl Morgan was a debonaire bachelor, a gambler, a ladies' man and completely unprepared for the sight before him. Three little kids of descending height and age stared back at him with wide expectant expressions. Ages Twelve, Ten and Eight they were his sister's kids.

Two nephews and a niece his assistant Linda bought birthday and holiday gifts for, signing his name on the cards before posting the gifts. Kids he saw a few times a year bearing gifts for holidays his sister made him join her in joyous celebration.

That was about to change.

Thanks to the chartered plane crash his sister and her husband were gone. Leaving adventurous thirty year old Carl the guardian for their offspring.

Frustrated by the notion and emotionally devastated by the loss Carl balled up the document left by his attorney. And tossed it across the wide room with a gruff grunt not even aiming for the sleek garbage can.

The oldest Steven shot him a scowl, then quickly schooled his features into an unreadable expression. Carl wondered if he had scared the boy but before he could ask the youngest-Sophia chimed in "Mom was right, Uncle Carl is a pig!"

The middle one Jude placed a finger over her lips. "Don't be rude, he is the only family we have left Sophie."

The girl bent down and picked the paper off the floor binning it. Carl caught sight of her undies under her crisp white short fluffy dress. "Well, I'll be damned. You have a bow on your butt." He muttered out loud, amusement playing on his tone.

His niece turned with a delicate adorable frown on her face. "And you have a foul tongue Uncle Carl." The eight-year-old spat.

"It's Carl and damn right I do, anyone got a problem with that?" He asked sweeping his daring and tired gaze to all four faces in the room.

The boys shook their heads immediately; clearly understanding the value of staying on his good side. He liked their easy intelligence in a bad situation but worried about how he'd handle them as they got older.

"If you want to curse does that mean I'm allowed to do or say what I want too?" Sophie faced him, hands on her hips, a determined tilt to her chin. She obviously had gumption, it made him smile. Intelligence and spirit, he could see his sister in them.

"Depends what it is you want to do." Carl said rolling up the sleeves of his Vince Mullato shirt to his elbows.

"Ditch the dress."

Carl laughed maybe this parenting thing wasn't so hard after all he thought to himself. "That can be arranged."

Jude and Steven rolled their eyes "Tomboy." They both mocked.

"I'm not!" Sophie cried with a stomp.

"Stop acting like a child Sophie." Jude patronized and Steven agreed.

"You...you...you're all stupid adults," Sophie whined crying with easy tears. The same way his sister used to get him in trouble when they were kids, growing up.

"Watch your mouth Sophie!" Steve the oldest pointed a finger at her.

She cried louder.

"Shh Sophie, behave please." Jude the middle one pleaded, already on his knees wiping away her tears.

She let herself fall on the carpeted floor crying even louder.

Carl Morgan sat back in his chair, elbows neatly resting on the leather chair's armrest and a laugh of amusement escaping his lips.

Linda his twenty-five-year-old assistant stood beside him. A hand in the back of his chair and laughed with him. "Are you ready for this Carl?"

Their eyes met and words passed between them through their gazes.

That was fifteen years ago.

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