The morning sun filtered through the blinds, casting a warm glow across the living room. The house buzzed with life, but not in its usual carefree way. Ever since Alan and Jake had moved in, it was like a tornado had blown through—Jake leaving a trail of video games, toys, and crumbs, while Alan hovered anxiously, always cleaning up after him. Nero, leaning casually against the kitchen counter, sipped his coffee, watching the chaos unfold.
Life had changed in the last 24 hours, but Nero wasn't rattled by change anymore. Thanks to Charlie, he had learned to adjust, stay cool under pressure, and if necessary, charm his way out of any situation. Charlie's influence had definitely rubbed off on him.
The front door creaked open, and Charlie strolled in from his morning walk on the beach, looking as carefree as ever, a coffee in hand.
"Morning, Nero," Charlie said, flashing a grin as he plopped down on the couch. "How's our new circus act?"
Nero smirked. "Chaos, as usual. Jake's eaten half the fridge, and Alan's trying to clean crumbs that don't exist."
"Sounds about right." Charlie stretched out, unfazed. "You better buckle up, kid. This is just the beginning."
Nero didn't need the warning, but he appreciated the humor. He was used to life with Charlie—unpredictable, fun, sometimes chaotic—but this was on a whole new level.
From across the room, Alan stood wringing his hands, looking nervously at the phone.
"You alright, Alan?" Nero asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alan jumped a little, looking up. "Oh, uh… yeah, just Judith. She's been calling every hour."
Charlie groaned, already irritated by the mention of Alan's ex. "Let me guess, she's worried about Jake?"
Alan nodded, his face showing all the signs of a man on the verge of a breakdown. "Yeah, she's worried he's not… adjusting. This place is, uh… a little different."
Nero chuckled. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly a museum."
Charlie gave Nero a sideways grin. Though he still played the carefree bachelor, Nero could tell that Charlie had softened a bit. Sure, he still enjoyed the single life, but having Nero around had given him a weird sense of responsibility—not that he'd ever admit it.
Suddenly, a loud crash came from the kitchen, followed by Jake's voice. "Dad! I broke something!"
Nero and Charlie exchanged glances.
"Here we go," Nero muttered.
Alan shot up from the couch like he'd been electrocuted, darting into the kitchen with panic written all over his face. Nero followed behind, curious to see what disaster Jake had created this time.
They arrived to find Jake standing in front of the shattered remains of a cereal bowl, milk spreading across the kitchen floor like a miniature flood. Alan immediately began apologizing profusely, rushing to clean up the mess.
"Sorry, Charlie, Nero… Jake just—"
Charlie waved him off, unfazed. "Relax, Alan. It's just a bowl. Not like it's a family heirloom or something."
Nero stepped forward to help Alan clean up, offering a grin to ease the tension. "Hey, it's fine. I break stuff all the time. The trick is to act like you meant to."
Jake, wide-eyed, looked up. "Really?"
Nero nodded, tossing the broken pieces into the trash. "Sure. Just gotta stay cool about it."
Charlie leaned against the doorway, amused. "See, kid? That's Harper 101—never let 'em see you sweat."
Jake stood up straighter, clearly taking the advice to heart. "Thanks, Nero!"
"Anytime," Nero said with a smirk. "But maybe next time, just ask for help before the bowl hits the floor."
Jake grinned sheepishly, nodding as he wandered off, already distracted by something else.
Later that afternoon, Charlie had somehow managed to secure time for himself, or so he thought. His plan to enjoy a quiet afternoon with one of his "lady friends" fell apart faster than he could charm his way out of it. Alan and Jake's never-ending presence had sabotaged the whole operation.
Nero sat on the couch, watching from the sidelines as Charlie's date, a gorgeous blonde, sat awkwardly next to him, completely out of place amidst the chaos of Alan's nervous hovering and Jake's oblivious Game Boy obsession.
"Why are you guys still here?" Charlie muttered under his breath, shooting a glare at Alan, who was pacing the room, once again on the phone with Judith.
"Judith's asking about Jake again," Alan stammered, holding up the phone like it was a bomb about to go off. "She's really concerned."
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Tell her we haven't sold him for parts yet."
Nero chuckled but kept out of it, casually observing as Charlie's date raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the circus act surrounding her. Jake, oblivious as ever, looked up from his game and stared at her.
"Uncle Charlie, who's she?" Jake asked, breaking the awkward silence.
Charlie's face tightened as his date's patience visibly thinned. She smiled awkwardly. "I'm, uh, Charlie's friend."
Jake, curious and innocent, stared at her as if trying to figure out her purpose. "Are you staying for dinner? We're having pizza!"
Charlie groaned, but before he could respond, Alan, still juggling his phone call, walked back into the room.
"No, Judith, I swear, Jake's fine! Yes, he's safe. No, Charlie isn't feeding him pizza for every meal."
Charlie's date gave him a puzzled look, her interest in Charlie clearly plummeting.
"This is a really bad time," she muttered, grabbing her purse and standing up. "I'll call you later… or not."
Charlie's shoulders slumped as she headed for the door, all his efforts wasted.
Nero raised his cup in a mock salute. "Nice try."
"Yeah, yeah," Charlie muttered, flopping onto the couch as the door clicked shut. "This is my life now. Thanks, Alan."
Alan, still distracted by Judith's latest demand, didn't even notice Charlie's sarcasm.