"I can't stand Dad. He's the absolute worst," Nina fumed, crossing her arms with a huff.
Mira, with her childish innocence, piped up, "Then let's get a new dad, shall we?"
Nina rolled her eyes, "Silly, you can't just swap out dads like an old pair of sneakers."
Undeterred, Mira bobbed her head energetically, "Why not? We could ask Uncle Arnold or Uncle Leopold to be our dad."
William blinked thoughtfully and then said in a matter-of-fact tone, "You know, if your mom marries someone else, you'll get a stepdad just like I did. Uncle Leopold is my stepdad."
The thought of her mom marrying someone else had never crossed Nina's mind before.
"I don't want a stepdad. They're probably as mean as wicked stepmothers from the fairy tales."
"But Uncle Leopold is really nice to William, isn't he?" Mira countered.
Nina smacked Mira's head lightly, "Dummy, Uncle Leopold's not just any stepdad. He's also William’s uncle. Do you think someone without family ties would be that kind?"
Mira stuck out her tongue playfully, "But what can we do? Adults never listen to kids. They just do whatever they want."
William sighed deeply, his youthful face looking unexpectedly wise. "You're right. Adults don't care about what kids think. To them, we're just accessories."
Skyler joined in with a sigh, a shadow passing over his face as he thought of his situation. Aunt Tanya used him like a pawn, always manipulating him for her ends. Geoffrey was probably another one of her pawns, brainwashed from a young age to do her bidding.
"Kids have it rough," Skyler murmured.
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