"Sweetheart,e over here to Great-Grandma."

The little girl darted into theb.

“Great-Grandma, Daddy, what are you looking at?"

Tracey beamed, eyes warm with affection.

"I''m showing your dad some of my special collectibles."

"Those tiny bottles over there?"

"That''s right."

Baby''s big, round eyes sparkled with curiosity as she stared at the eight little vials lined up on the table.

"Great-Grandma, what''s inside these bottles?"

"Monsters," Tracey replied, a hint of mischief in her smile.

"Huh?! Like, real monsters?"

"Mhm! Tiny monsters that can eat people!"

"Whaaat?!" Baby''s face was a picture of shock.

She''d clearly inherited Elysia''s trusting nature-anything Tracey said, she

believed, easy to amuse and even easier to fool.

The thought of people-eating monsters sealed up in those bottles made her a bit nervous. She scurried behind Tarquin and clung to his shirt.

"Daddy, I''m scared."

Tarquin turned, bent down, and scooped her up. "Don''t be, kiddo. Daddy''s here." Tracey chuckled.

"Monsters are scary, sure, but every monster has a weakness. Baby, want to help Great-Grandma research how to beat them?"

Curiosity lit up Baby''s face. Her voice was tiny and sweet:

"Is their weakness superheroes? Like Captain America or Iron Man?"

Tracey grinned.

"We''re not studying superheroes today-we''re looking at legendary heroes! Like Perseus, Hercules, and King Arthur!"

Baby''s eyes grew even wider.

"Wow! Were they really strong?"

Tracey nodded.

"The strongest! Perseus could

defeat the Gorgon Medusa and sea serpents. Hercules fought the Hydra and the Nemean Lion. And King Arthur? He battled dragons and evil knights. Pretty awesome, right?"

Baby''s eyes sparkled.

"They sound even cooler than Iron Man!"

Traceyughed.

"If you help me, we''ll work together to send all those monsters packing and keep

our world safe. How does that sound?"

Baby''s jaw dropped in excitement.

"Can I really fight monsters, too?"

"Of course! I can tell you''re a brave little warrior already."

Baby was easy to tter-onepliment and she was bouncing with excitement, nodding fiercely.

"Yeah! I want to fight monsters with Great-Grandma! I want to be a little hero!"

"Deal, deal, deal!" Tracey couldn''t stop smiling.

Tarquin watched his daughter, so inspired and enthusiastic. He was proud, but couldn''t help thinking to himself:

She''s just like Elysia-so innocent, so sweet. Silly, adorable, and kind-hearted. Tracey finished locking the bottles in a safe.

"We''ll study more this afternoon. First, let''s get some lunch."

"Okay!" Baby grabbed Tracey''s hand, skipping toward the door. Tracey, in high spirits, turned to Tarquin.

"Leave Baby with me. You and Elysia don''t need to worry. Myb might be full of strange stuff, but I''ll keep her safe and sound-she won''t get near anything dangerous."

Working with viruses and chemicals always came with risks, and Tarquin''s heart

ached at the thought. But he nodded.

"We trust youpletely."

Baby would face risks if she studied medicine, sure. But no matter what she chose in life, there''d be

challenges. No oak tree ever grew tall in a greenhouse. You can''t see a rainbow without a little rain.

He loved Baby, but he wouldn''t smother her. He knew that giving her real

opportunities was the best thing for her future.

So he supported Baby learning from Tracey, wholeheartedly.

Tracey was strong, wise, and principled. It was a stroke of luck for Baby to have

her as a mentor.

This was her great opportunity-and he wouldn''t stand in the way.

Still...