Gordon was a clingy child. If you needed to be freed of his embrace, you would often need to aquire assistance in prying the creature off. If you were Lucille Tracy, there was no freedom.

Jeff was away on business, and Lucille had enough work of her own to keep her busy for a lifetime- at least thats how it felt. On top of that, she was responsible for FIVE little vermin who seemed to cause any trouble they could.

Should be the last of that bit. She opened her email to send it to the investor. 10 New Emails. Better check them first. And of course, one was from the investor. And of course, he needed nearly twice what she'd just done and of course, he wanted it that day.

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY," she grumbled a few swears at the computer and typed up an acceptable response. Now to get to work.

She jumped a little as she felt something grab onto her leg, "Hey Gordon, how did my little gremlin escape his play pen?"

"Mawmwa," she could tell that was all the information she was gonna get from him.

"Come 'ere," she reached down and scooped up the child, who was happy to release his grip on her leg for a tighter one around her neck, "I'm lucky you're so small, or else you'd have choked me by now". An empty blink was all she got in response.

She carried Gordon into the other room. His playpen was still intact. Maybe he's big enough to climb out now? He has been trying to climb things more lately.

She passed through the kitchen to find John reading on the counter. He didn't even glance up as she walked by, too absorbed by his book. Lucille noted that it was the one his Uncle Lee had given him on his last visit, one about space.

She heard roars echoing through the hall, coming from the nursery no doubt. She stood a moment in the doorway watching Scott murder his baby brother with a foam sword. Gordon seemed to find it entertaining.

"And what did our little sprout do to deserve all this?" She teased. Her oldest jumped, not expecting for anyone to appear.

"Oh, he's a dragon!" Scott tapped the paper cup on Alan's head and picked something up, "he kidnapped the princess".

What Scott had picked up, and was now holding out, was one of Virgil's action figures. "And isn't she just lovely!" Lucy giggled at the sight.

"Yes. End of discussion." Scott crossed his arms defiantly.

"Alright, alright," she stiffled her laugh, "have you seen Virgil?"

"He wanted to borrow my markers, so hes probably sitting under his palm tree again," Scott motioned vaguely in that direction, and took the cup off of his baby brother's head.

"Thanks, Scoot," she started to leave and then turned back for a moment, "just so you know, Gordon's figured out how to escape the play pen".

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She found her second oldest under his Palm tree, sketching the view.

"Hey there Virg," she couldn't resist ruffling his hair as she went by.

"Don't call me that!" She could hear him grumbled something about his hair, but the breeze was picking up, and she didn't want to be away from her work for too long. Actually forever sounded like a great amount of time to be free of it, but that wasn't very probable.

She sat down on the beach, the only place Gordon would let her go willingly, and sighed. It was a beautiful view, late in the day, the sky had started to turn a few different shades of pink.

Her curly haired child had picked up a shell, and was now sitting beside her. He held it up, "fow Mawmwa".

"Aww, thank you!" She took the shell from him, she'd put in on her desk when she got back in. Gordon had now, apparently, decided that it was lap time.

"You're so clingy, little one," she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the top of his head, "like a little squid or something".

"Imma 'quid," he giggled at the thought.