At the Karen household.
A few days later.
"Las Vegas?"
"Las Vegas!"
After resolving the issues with Little George and Missy, Adam, Juno, and Heather discussed their travel plans and ultimately decided that their first stop would be the famous vacation destination—Sin City, where you can eat, drink, and have fun all in one place.
"Sheldon, do you want to come?"
After finalizing the plan, Adam went to the Cooper house to invite Sheldon.
"No, thank you."
As expected, Sheldon declined.
Adam wasn't disappointed—on the contrary, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
His invitation was more of a courtesy, and he had already predicted Sheldon's response.
If Sheldon had actually agreed, that would have been a real headache.
It wasn't that Adam wasn't a good friend, but Sheldon was truly a walking bundle of trouble—and traveling with Sheldon? That would be a disaster.
Forget about his strict bathroom schedule—can you guarantee that every stop along the way will be impeccably clean?
If there's even the slightest issue, Sheldon will spiral into a germophobic panic attack.
And let's not forget—Sheldon is still a child. It doesn't matter that he earned his PhD at fifteen or that he'll win a Nobel Prize in Physics in his forties—he's still a kid.
Would you dare let him stay in a hotel room alone?
Sure, maybe you would.
But would he agree to that?
Of course not!
And no, he wouldn't want to stay in the same room as you either—he'd insist on a room right next door, close enough that he could chat with you through the wall.
And what was the whole point of this trip for Adam and the others?
Vacation.
They were planning to let loose!
How could they do that with Sheldon around?
Besides, they were planning to fly.
Sheldon had a Mexican peso stuck in his nostril since he was five years old—courtesy of the neighborhood bully—and it's still there. Every time he goes through airport security, he takes way longer than everyone else for a full-body inspection.
As long as someone's wearing latex gloves, they're free to conduct a rectal exam on him.
So while Sheldon finds the extra screening mildly annoying, he doesn't resist it.
But for his travel companions?
Being subjected to the same level of security checks just because they're with him?
That would be unbearable.
So if Sheldon had agreed to come, Adam would've immediately scrapped the idea of flying and opted for a road trip instead.
And with a road trip, the journey would be longer, they'd pass through even more places, and Sheldon's quirks would create even more problems. He'd probably force them to play some mind-numbing car games the entire way.
It might be funny to watch on TV, but living through it? No, thanks.
So the moment Sheldon declined, Adam didn't even think about asking again—he just smiled and made a swift exit.
"Adam, take me with you!"
When Adam told his parents about the trip, they had no objections and even encouraged him. But as soon as Teddy came home, she immediately ran up to him, pleading.
"No way. Haven't you caused enough trouble?"
Adam refused without hesitation.
"I've never been to Las Vegas before!"
Teddy wasn't about to give up so easily. "I promise I won't bother you guys."
She even raised her hand as if swearing an oath.
"Nope!"
Adam remained firm.
The four of them had a perfect setup—two couples. Bringing along his little sister as a tag-along? No way.
"Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Seeing that Adam was completely unmoved, Teddy pouted and ran out of the house to find Heather.
A little while later…
Adam clenched his jaw as he watched Teddy re-enter the house, clinging to Heather's arm with a smug smile.
Heather grinned and said, "Adam, let's bring Teddy along, okay?"
"…Okay."
Adam had no choice but to agree.
In front of his family, he had to give Heather some face.
"I'm coming too!"
Hearing this, Charlie immediately clung to Heather's leg, her voice full of excitement.
"And me!"
Their younger brother, Gabe, jumped out as well.
Adam felt a headache coming on. "Why don't we just take the whole family at this point?"
His mother, Amy, suddenly lit up at the idea. She exchanged a glance with his equally interested father, Bob, and smiled. "That sounds great! We should be able to get time off."
Adam's mouth twitched.
He was just joking!
"Come on, cheer up,"
His dad, Bob, patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "We'll do our thing, and you guys can do yours. We promise we won't get in your way."
Adam forced a smile.
Sure, that's what they said. But when traveling with family, there's no way it wouldn't affect their plans. Even their voices would have to be quieter than usual.
But at this point, he could only accept it.
However, he immediately turned to Gabe with a warning: "If you cause trouble, we'll send you straight back."
"You're picking on me!"
Gabe stomped his foot in protest, looking aggrieved. But seeing Adam's unamused expression and realizing that their parents weren't coming to his defense, he gave up, shrugging. "Ever since you 'woke up,' you're nowhere near as fun as PJ used to be."
Adam rolled his eyes.
His past self, PJ, had been a naive big brother who was constantly pranked—of course Gabe had found it entertaining.
"I'll book the tickets," Adam said to his dad.
"Okay."
His dad didn't argue.
Unlike their last family trip for Christmas, this time, it was Adam and his friends' vacation, with the Duncan family just tagging along. It made sense for Adam to pay for the tickets—it didn't diminish Bob's status as the head of the household.
And since Adam was in charge, he naturally booked first-class tickets. At the airport, they'd go through the VIP lanes—no more hassle like last time.
After securing the flights, Adam also booked two luxury suites at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
His parents and the younger siblings would take one suite, while he, Juno, Heather, and Karen would take the other.
These suites had multiple rooms and all the amenities they could need—more convenient than home.
Adam even made sure to book two suites that weren't right next to each other, ensuring they wouldn't have to hold back on fun.
As for Juno, Karen, Adam, and Heather sharing a suite?
Well, Adam was used to that by now.
The soundproofing in a luxury hotel suite wasn't any worse than the cabin in the woods or Karen's house, right?
His parents took care of requesting their time off work. After making some calls, they each gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, signaling that everything was set.
Las Vegas wasn't far from Palm Springs, so it wasn't like they hadn't been there before—but it had been a long time. And they had never gone together as a full family for a vacation.
Plus, this time, Adam—now a multimillionaire—was treating them. That meant not only was there the sentimental value of a family trip, but also the luxury of high-end accommodations.
Double the fun. No—eight times the fun!
Why wait? With money, you can do whatever you want!
The plan was finalized, they packed quickly, and by the afternoon, they were on a direct flight to Las Vegas.
A few hours later, they walked into the opulent Caesars Palace.
Teddy and the younger siblings had their eyes wide with excitement, marveling at everything around them, exclaiming in awe.
Adam, on the other hand, remained calm—until he saw someone that made his jaw drop.
"It's you?!"
(End of chapter.)