Two weeks had passed since John and Georgie adopted Cooper and Charlie. The puppies had quickly settled into the Cooper household, becoming an inseparable part of the twins' lives. John, however, had little time to spare, as he was fully immersed in his art portfolio, sculpting classes, and advanced mathematics.
Mary often found herself staring in disbelief at the sheer intelligence of her son. A four-year-old handling advanced calculus while simultaneously working on master-level paintings? If she hadn't given birth to him herself, she would have sworn he was an alien.
One evening, John sat at the dinner table, sketching his next masterpiece while absentmindedly munching on a peanut butter sandwich. Georgie, meanwhile, was attempting to teach Cooper how to play fetch, though the puppy seemed more interested in chewing the ball.
"John, honey," Mary said cautiously, placing a glass of milk beside him. "How's the portfolio coming along?"
John looked up, his hazel eyes gleaming with confidence. "Almost done. I already have four completed paintings and started my final one today. I call it The Reflection of Youth."
"Sounds fancy," George commented, flipping through the TV channels. "But will it win you that $10,000?"
"I would hope so," John said matter-of-factly. "The human mind is most captivated by emotions and nostalgia. I plan to tap into that."
Mary glanced at George. Their son spoke like a seasoned professional rather than a toddler who should be watching Sesame Street.
"As long as you don't forget that your paintings might sell too," George added. "If those rich art people like your work, you'll be rolling in cash."
John nodded. "That's the plan. If I win, I get $10,000 from the contest, but if my paintings sell, I'll earn 50% of the profits. Depending on the buyers, I could make even more, then maybe we can invest our money into a startup company where we can get a lot more money if our investments turn a profit."
Mary sighed. "You're four, and you're already thinking like a businessman."
"Just read enough books to compare and find the most logical way to make money. If you don't own a business, you will always be someone's employee, and I don't plan on being someone's employee for the future, so I'm laying the foundations now for my future." Said John to Mary, who was just silent until then.
Suddenly, the sound of loud banging came from the kitchen.
"GEORGIE!" Mary shouted.
Everyone turned toward the source of the noise.
Georgie had somehow managed to tie a towel around his neck like a superhero cape. He stood on the kitchen counter, dramatically holding onto a wooden spoon like a sword. Charlie and Cooper were wagging their tails excitedly below him, clearly enjoying whatever chaos he had just created.
"GEORGIE, GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Mary yelled.
But before she could stop him, Georgie puffed out his chest and declared, "I AM THE NIGHT!"
Then, in one swift motion, he leaped off the counter like a true superhero—only to belly flop onto the floor with a loud THUD!
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then Georgie groaned. "Ow..."
John blinked. "That was… impressive. The commitment was there."
Mary rushed over, checking for injuries. "You are NOT Batman, Georgie!"
George was too busy laughing. "Did you just belly flop onto the floor, son?"
"Yeah… but it looked cool, right?" Georgie wheezed.
Charlie licked his face, and Cooper barked in agreement.
John shook his head. "Statistically speaking, you have a 92% chance of hurting yourself doing something like that again."
Georgie grinned, still lying on the floor. "So you're saying there's an 8% chance I won't?"
Mary pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something about "losing her sanity before these boys turn five."
Meanwhile, Georgie—now covered in Band-Aids—was already planning his next epic stunt.
The next morning, George was woken up by the sound of retching from the bathroom. He groggily sat up in bed, rubbing his face. "Mary?"
No response—just more vomiting.
With a concerned sigh, he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. The door was slightly ajar, and he found Mary hunched over the toilet, looking miserable.
"Are you okay?" George asked, stepping closer.
Mary groaned, wiping her mouth. "I don't know… I've been feeling awful for days now."
George raised an eyebrow. "Mary… this ain't the first time you've been sick in the morning."
She looked at him, then realization dawned on her face.
George grinned. "You don't think…?"
Mary took a deep breath, then nodded. "I think we should go to the hospital."
A few hours later, after an ultrasound and some tests, the doctor gave them the confirmation: Mary was pregnant.
Mary looked at George, eyes wide. "We're having another baby."
George stared for a second, processing the news before breaking into a huge smile. "Well, I'll be damned."
Back at home, Mary decided to tell the boys. She sat them both on the couch, Georgie still wearing his makeshift superhero cape, John sitting calmly beside him with Cooper and Charlie curled up at his feet.
"Boys, we have some big news," Mary started.
Georgie gasped. "Are we getting another puppy?!"
John raised an eyebrow. "Logically, I don't think that's the case."
Mary chuckled. "No, honey. You're going to have a new baby brother or sister."
Georgie blinked. "Wait, what?"
"A baby," George added. "Your mom's pregnant."
Georgie gasped again. "I'M GONNA BE A BIG BROTHER?!?"
"Technically, you're already a big brother," John pointed out.
"Yeah, but now I get to be the oldest big brother!" Georgie grinned proudly. "That means I get to boss the baby around, right?"
Mary shot him a look. "No, it means you get to help take care of the baby."
Georgie scrunched his face, thinking. "Ehhh… I dunno. That sounds like work."
John sighed. "If you think about it, a new sibling means another person to team up with during family debates. Statistically, having more allies increases our chances of getting what we want in negotiations."
Georgie's eyes lit up. "Like getting more cookies?"
"Precisely."
Georgie threw his hands in the air. "I LOVE THIS BABY ALREADY!"
Mary and George exchanged looks, both exasperated and amused.
That night, as John finished detailing his latest painting, he turned toward the corner of his room where a notebook lay open. It was filled with engineering diagrams—blueprints for a small, self-sustaining hydroponics system.
"Once my portfolio is done, I'll start this project," John muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Georgie—now determined to be the ultimate big brother—was already planning what he called The Ultimate Guide to Being Awesome, which mostly involved teaching the baby how to wrestle and making sure John didn't turn them into another genius.
The Cooper household was about to get a whole lot crazier.