Adjusting Judgment

The Creed hallways and the house overall weren't that interesting. It was just well taken care of with mininalistically designed interiors.

It was about the same as the other suburban houses around it.

As for why his rich grandpa settled for this place, he was an elderly man trying to be low-key and it would seem that the neighbors has the same mentality as him.

Alexander really don't interact much with the neighborhood association but he knew that the community was extremely tight-knit, conducive for low-key rich agendas, and well protected.

Beverly Hills and Malibu was all for the rich, glamour, and showing off. This neighborhood just happens to be all that, minus the showing-off part.

In any case, the hidden society of this deceptively suburban area in San Fernando Valley wasn't his priority as he showed little Milla around.

They first took to the room-filled second floor with all the sleeping, bathing, and wardrobe accommodations.

Then, the children duo went back to the first floor to explore the kitchen, the study, the dining room, laundry, and cursory glance at the basement.

The house tour ended sooner than expected with simple back and forths from the host and the guest.

After showing the quaint but beautiful backyard, they turned back and were ready to head to the adults in the living room.

"Hey, friend Alex. Why don't we make a deal?" Before they could reach back to her mother's presence, Milla pulled him back to make their meetings better. "You be my friend and I'll be your friend, how about that?"

"That's not a problem for me." Alexander had no better option so he agreed. Frankly, interacting with this girl wasn't that bad. He just couldn't help but feel vexed at the repeat of 'friend' Alex here and there.

Since they were on the same page, he quickly added a suggestion. "Let's just call each other with simple names though. Just call me Alex and I'll call you Milla or whichever of those you prefer."

She was ecstatic at the unexpected completion that she blurted and cheered. "Great! Mission accomplished for us but..."

Of course, she's a kid so there would always be complications. "...but you should call me big sis Milla. I know I'm older than you and as the little one, you should follow seniority."

"How old are you then?" Alexander had to clarify things.

"8 and I'm going to be 9 this December!" The little girl boasted with confidence.

"Well... I'm already 9 now which makes me the older one." That deadpan utterance of facts made the little girl speechless. Perhaps the source of her facts about him needs checking.

Of course, her little mind knew how 9 was older than 8... but she still felt aggrieved. "Does that mean I'll call you big brother?

"We are in an age where seniority between kids doesn't matters... so just call me Alex and I'll call you Milla like I told you so." Alexander didn't want to haggle any further and stopped it with this. "Anyways, take it or leave it, I guess."

Calling a little girl like her as 'big sis' was unacceptable for someone with a 47-year-old soul. Being called 'big bro' was even weirder.

Anyways, Milla pouted with dissatisfaction but she had not much leeway to argue back. Impecabble facts aside, the boy's indifferent expression was much harder to convince than her mother.

As for Alexander, he was just wondering why there is a lot of Japanese girl tropes to this girl. Or maybe pouts and call me big sis was just too prevalent in manga and anime that he somehow automatically associates it as a trait of Japan despite its worldly prevalence.

Whatever the case, the two of them mentally shook on their tacit 'friendship' and went forward to face the judgment of their mission assigners.

-------

Back in the living room, Sullivan was just briefing Miss Galina with the task of the day.

Alexander and Milla simply approached them and waited for whatever their adult judgment would take them next.

"How was the tour, little Milla?" Sullivan smiled at their arrival.

"It is a nice house you have, grandpa Sullivan." Milla smiled back which reassured her mother.

"Haha. Then, you can stay here as you like, little Milla." Sullivan laughed as he was always welcoming of praises after all. Still, he didn't forget to check on something.

"How about your guide? I hope Alex here isn't as quiet as he always is."

"It's fine. Alex showed me a lot of interesting things and I think we've become friends because of it." Milla smiled with innocence. Children don't lie and people in Sullivan's generation are the ones easily fooled by that.

"I'm not that quiet grandpa and miss Milla should be good company during this boring summer." Alexander also had to back his new partner and give her the necessary assistance to help with her side of things.

It worked out well with Galina wanting to give her daughter a thumb's up while Sullivan was just relieved that his grandson heeded his advice.

Before the friend duo could show more of their 'friendship', the busy Monday had to catch up to them as the old Creed has something to catch.

"I'm quite relieved that these two are getting along. Sadly, I have to go." Sullivan said as checked the time. "Miss Galina, I'll leave Alex to you. He should know where to go from here."

"Of course. No need to trouble yourself more, Mr. Creed." Galina took the challenge and more or less knew where to go from here.

With that, the unhurried trio saw off the old Creed as he took his car to work.

-------

The babysitter days started and Galina finally set her first step towards her goals. She turned to her babysitee and asked nicely. "Alex, Mr. Creed tells me that there is a place that I should take you to for most of this day. Would it be okay for us to go now?"

"Of course. But I still have to bring some stuff like snacks and lunch. We also have to lock the house before we go." Alexander could tell that his grandfather withheld some of the crucial details of their destination but since everything was set, all that he could do was go with the flow.

"Leave those things to me. Milla and I are quite good with lunch packing for the day." Galina was always one to advertise her strong suits and wanted to impress the little one of the Creed.

"Just leave it to mom and me, Alex. Sit tight and we'll be ready to go in no time!" Of course, Milla was always on her mother's side and help her out when it comes to this new friend of hers.

Alexander already had an idea of how to deal with their enthusiasm and just went with that. "I'll leave it up to you guys, then. I still have some stuff to get from my room and I guess we could set off when you're done."

Thus, the trio set off with what they tasked themselves to do.

Milla and Miss Galina scrounged the kitchen with what they could prepare while Alexander took his work folder with some of the panelings he had prepared beforehand.

With the Sullivan household on lockdown, the three of them set off in the Jovovich car and onwards.

Alexander was thus slowly adjusting with this mother and daughter duo as they rode the roads. As for how they would adjust to what they would see, that was up to them.