The day had been tough on little William. Born into a world of trouble, snatched away by villains at birth, he carried shadows in his

tiny heart.

"lI want to go hand see Daddy and Nova," he mumbled.

"Angel said she'd take you the day after tomorrow, didn't she?" Skyler tried to reassure him. "If you miss your dad so much, just

give him a call."

"Skyler, you have been in Elysium for a while now. Don't you ever miss your folks?" William inquired.

Skyler, with mock solemnity, declared, "Sometimes I do, but Mom always says that when kids grow up, they've got to live on their

own. When I miss them, I just give them a call. They calltoo. Mom rangup just yesterday. I told her I'm doing great here, so

she doesn't have to worry."

Life in Elysium was a slice of heaven for Skyler. Back where he cfrom, folks treated him like a fool, and nobody wanted to play

with him. But here, everyone was kind, and he could be a happy kid without anyone giving him strange looks.

Just then, Mira and Nina crolling up with their robotic dog, Leopold trailing behind.

Noticing William's gloom, Leopold asked, "What's the matter, William?"

Nina blurted out, "Uncle Leopold, William doesn't want you and Aunt Aurelia to have a baby sister. He says he already has one, and

he doesn't want another."

Leopold's brow furrowed as he approached William, "Kids shouldn't meddle in grown-ups’ business. What your mom and I decide

isn't for you to dictate. You need to understand your place."

William shot him a defiant look. "I know my place, Uncle Leopold, no need to remind me."

Kane quickly interjected, "Dad, William just hasn't gotten used to life here yet. He'll adjust in time."

"You're a smart kid, so why's it so hard for you to adapt?" Leopold pressed.

William puffed up his cheeks, "Well if your dad and mom split up and you got a stepdad, you wouldn't be able to adjust either."

A flush of irritation crossed Leopold's face, "You're spoiled. I'm sending you to summer camp to toughen up."

William planted his hands on his hips, glaring back, "I won't go. You're not my dad, so you can't tellwhat to do. I'll be with my

real dad this summer, not you. If he hadn't gotten hurt, I wouldn't even be here with you."

"Go wherever you want then. It makes no difference to me," Leopold snapped, storming off.

A million of hurt struck William's heart as tears brimmed in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks.

It was clear to him. Leopold saw him as nothing but excess baggage. That was how it always was with stepdads.

Skyler rushed to clean William's tears, "William, don't cry. Leopold didn't mean what he said. This family wouldn't be the same

without you."

"This isn't my home," William retorted bitterly.

Kane tried to comfort him, "Of course, it's your home. Dad's just upset because you don't want a little sister. He's always nice to

you, isn't he? Whatever I have, you have too. He's always fair."

"Yeah," Skyler nodded vigorously, "If I told my folks I didn't want a little sister, they'd be upset too. Your little sister is already

growing inside Angel. What do you want to do, have her go through surgery to get rid of her?"

William sniffled.

"Stop trying to makefeel better. Uncle Leopold just doesn't like me. In his eyes, I'm just a burden."

"Con, William, that's not true. How could you think of yourself as a burden?" Skyler scratched his head, bewildered.

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