Care day

"Alright," Cornelius surrendered "I'll take care of him."

"Thanks, Neil," Franny smiled as she joined her brothers for a siblings day out

"Are you sure about this?" Art asked his sister

"Of course I am," she replied "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You know how caught up Cornelius gets when he's in the lab," Gaston said

"And Wilbur is a bit reckless too," Art chimed in, but Franny wasn't going back

"They'll be fine," she insisted "Probably."

"What?"

"Nothing."

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Cornelius and Wilbur entered the lab. Peculiar gadgets filled the place along with colorful chemicals, and strange contraptions. Wilbur's eyes widened with excitement, eager to explore the wonders of his father's world.

"Alright, my little apprentice, what would you like to do first?" Cornelius asked, kneeling down to meet Wilbur's gaze.

Wilbur pointed at a peculiar machine in the corner. "What's that, Dad?"

Cornelius followed his son's finger and smiled. "Ah, that's supposed to be a time traveler. It's still a work in progress, but one day, it'll take us on incredible adventures through time!"

Wilbur's eyes gleamed with delight. "Can we try it now? Can we go back to the time of dinosaurs?"

Cornelius chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. "Not just yet, Wilbur. It still needs some adjustments. But how about we do a fun science experiment instead?"

Wilbur clapped his hands in excitement. "Yes!" he shouted excitedly and went to the closest table, which, of course, contained colored tubes of different sizes and shapes, but something specific caught his attention.

"Wilbur! This is too much! " Cornelius yelled worriedly as he saw his son about to put a big piece of sodium in the water.

"Yeah, Dad! Look at it! It's going to create a giant explosion!"

Cornelius quickly reached out to stop Wilbur from placing the piece of sodium into the water.

"That's too dangerous!" Cornelius exclaimed, grabbing hold of the curious 8-year-old's hand. "Yes, sodium can indeed react explosively with water, but it's essential to handle it with extreme caution and proper safety measures."

Wilbur tilted his head, his eyes filled with confusion, but also a tinge of disappointment. "But Dad, I really wanted to see the explosion! It would have been so cool!"

Cornelius smiled warmly at his son's enthusiasm but knew he can't risk anything while his son was here. "I understand your excitement, Wilbur, but science experiments can be dangerous if not done properly. Let's focus on a safer experiment for now, shall we?"

He guided Wilbur towards another table where various scientific equipment and materials were neatly arranged. Cornelius chose a beaker filled with colored liquid.

"Here, let's try this instead," he suggested, pouring the liquid into a smaller beaker. "This is a simple chemical reaction called an acid-base reaction. When we mix this acid solution with a base, it will create a fizzing and bubbling effect."

Wilbur's disappointment slowly turned into intrigue as he watched his father carefully pour the acid solution into the base. The mixture started fizzing and bubbling just as Cornelius had predicted.

"Whoa! Look, Dad! It's bubbling up!" Wilbur exclaimed, his eyes filled with wonder.

Cornelius smiled as he watched his son's excitement. "Yes, Wilbur, it's the acid and base reacting with each other. This reaction releases carbon dioxide gas, which creates those bubbles you see."

As they worked on the experiment (Wilbur clearly not understanding but still enjoying anyway), Cornelius shared stories of his own childhood experiments and inventions. Wilbur listened intently, his eyes wide with admiration for his father's inventive mind. After they finished the experiment, Cornelius and Wilbur cleaned up the lab together. As they put away the beakers and test tubes, Wilbur couldn't help but ask, "Dad, why do you love inventing so much?"

Cornelius smiled at his son and took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Well, Wilbur, inventing and exploring the unknown has always fascinated me. It's like solving puzzles and discovering new possibilities. It allows me to use my imagination and creativity to make things that can help people and make the world a better place."

Wilbur nodded, absorbing his father's words. "So, when I grow up, can I become an inventor like you?"

Cornelius smiled proudly, placing a hand on Wilbur's shoulder. "Of course, my little apprentice. If you have a passion for it, I'll support you every step of the way. Just remember, being an inventor comes with its challenges, but it's also incredibly rewarding. You'll face failures, but you should keep moving forward."

Wilbur beamed, already imagining the inventions he would create in the future. "I can't wait, Dad! Maybe one day, we can even fix the Time Traveler and go on those amazing adventures!"

Cornelius chuckled, a twinkle in his eyes. "Who knows, Wilbur? Maybe one day, we'll travel through time together and discover wonders beyond our wildest dreams. But for now, let's continue exploring the wonders of science and inventing new things right here in our lab-"

"Why can't we use the time machine now?" Wilbur interrupted his father, his gaze fixed on the still-in-progress time machine.

Cornelius paused, contemplating his son's question. He knelt down to Wilbur's level and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Look, Wilbur, the time machine is a complicated invention. It's not quite ready for human testing just yet," he explained. "There are still some important safety precautions that need to be taken before we can use it."

Wilbur's eyes widened with excitement (and confusion) as he looked at the time machine. "But Dad, imagine all the adventures we could have! I want to see what the world was like in the past!"

Cornelius chuckled and tousled Wilbur's hair affectionately. "I understand your enthusiasm. But you have to promise me you wouldn't get near that time machine alone."

"Ok. But I will help you make it."

"That's a deal then." both agreed as they shook hands together, Cornelius knowing darn well that this promise will be broken at some point, but still smiled with pride at his son anyway.

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"I'm back! How was your day-oh" Franny' s voice trailed off as she admired the view before her. Cornelius slept peacefully with Wilbur in his lap, who, in return, wrapped a tiny arm around his dad, they sat against a red machine with tools and papers all around them.

Careful not to disturb them, Franny closed the garage door gently behind her, and turned to her brothers.

"See? I was right."