Curtis leaned down and kissed his daughter's forehead as she drifted into sleep, "Go get some rest."
Once they vanished up the stairs, Curtis pulled out a card, holding it between his fingers, and made a straightforward offer: "There's a monthly limit of a hundred grand on this card, spend it however you wish, wherever you wish."
Larson replied, "Deal."
Curtis tossed the card over, Larson pocketed it, and left.
Three hours later, Curtis and Leanne were in the living room, keeping their energetically awake daughter, Betty, company with puzzle assembling when sounds of a car echoed from the driveway.
Several delivery folks from various stores arrived, unloading heaps of parcels and bags into the house.
Betty perked up and warmly greeted the newcomers with a chirpy "Hi!"
Larson sauntered in, now dressed in a fresh outfit consisting of a tank top and casual denim jeans.
Leanne glanced at Curtis, puzzled, "Didn't you say he couldn't settle in here and went to stay with friends?" Curtis' gaze turned icy as he looked towards the door, "Explain."
Larson shrugged, "My friend got locked up."
That left Curtis and Leanne speechless.
What an irrefutable reason.
"Have you eaten?" Leanne asked, "There's some apple pie left in the kitchen, do you want some?"
"Sure."
Leanne headed to the kitchen, while Larson sprawled on the couch, clearly having chosen their place as his new home. Curtis merely glanced at him, opting not to comment in front of his wife and daughter. Leanne came back with the apple pie, and Larson turned on his charm, "Thanks, Leanne."
He reached out to take it, his physique somewhere between a teenager's and an adult man's, lean but not frail, with well-defined muscles.
"No problem." Leanne said, "Your cousin made it himself, try it."
The household chef was a great cook, but most often, it was Curtis who cooked, eager to delight his wife and daughter with tasty treats. Coincidentally, both Leanne and Betty's favorite dishes also happened to be Larson's favorites.
He wolfed down the apple pie, complimenting Curtis tauntingly, "Cousin, you're sure a great househusband."
Curtis ignored him, and after a while, when Betty needed to use the restroom, Leanne took her away, leaving the men alone.
Curtis then spoke up, "Since when did the cost of living in Emberland get so high that a hundred grand can't even buy you a shirt with sleeves?"
Larson glanced at his sleeveless top, "It's hot."
"Being broke and penniless is not very hot."
Curtis' tone was casual, but his words hit hard.
After finishing his pie, Larson put down the plate, "Cousin, are you jealous because I'm young?"
Curtis chuckled lightly, "What's there to be jealous of about youth? Between my eighteenth and twentieth years, guess how many years I've been through?"
Holding the mini puzzle piece Betty left with him and stretching his legs out, Curtis spoke calmly amidst the young man's provocation: "Everything you have now, I've had before. But what I have, you might never get."
Larson retorted, "I'll be thirty someday, too."
Curtis replied coolly, "I'm not so sure. With your attitude, you might not make it to thirty."
He was right; not everyone reaches thirty with the same accomplishments-career, wealth, unwavering love, and a happy family life.
Not everyone can be the perfect epitome of a winner in life.
Larson leaned back on the couch, silent for a moment before admitting, "Cousin, I'm really jealous of you."
"What's there to be jealous of?" Curtis asked, "Your starting point isn't lower than mine. As long as you don't screw up, you can have anything."
He was jealous of everything Curtis had: a complete family, close friends, a loving partner, and an adorable daughter, being loved by many.
But Larson loved to provoke Curtis.
"I'm jealous you've got a partner like Leanne."
"Good taste," Curtis acknowledged, "But being jealous is all you can do."
His slender fingers played with the mini puzzle piece as he sermonized, "Let me teach you the first lesson about life: there are some things you'll never get, no matter how hard you try. You have to learn to live with regret."
Larson was at a loss for words.
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