Okay so I was on discord and a reader suggested of a scene of Ashton teaching Everleigh on how to read a clock. I wrote the short scene quite quickly to be honest and it isn't edited fully so please ignore the mistakes or flaws and go with it. It isn't part of the book, but I may add it. I liked it and hence decided to put it here as well, as many aren't on discord and it was a cute scene in my opinion. Hope you enjoy.
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ASHTON
She sat next to me when I placed the small clock in front of her, "Okay princess look, one hour has sixty minutes like one minute has sixty seconds. Now the numbers on the clock are till twelve and twelve represents sixty. How? We apply the table of five here. I made you learn the table of five so when the big needle is at one, think what if five times one. It's five so this means that five minutes have passed. Similarly, if the needle is at eight, think what is eight times five, which is a forty which means that forty minutes have passed. Now since there are twelve numbers here meaning twelve times five meaning sixty, so there are five intervals between thegap of each number. For example, between one and two there are five intervals. Since one represents five minutes and two represents ten minutes, subtract them, a difference of five, so that five is divided into the five intervals so on the clock each small interval represents one minute. Now," I looked at her, "You are getting it right?"
She nodded, "Somewhat."
I inhaled and exhaled, "Hmm. It's okay. We'll go slowly okay princess? You'll get the hand of it."
She eagerly nodded when I took out a piece of paper and tried to jot down the points for her to understand, trying my level best to make my handwriting readable when when was concentrating hard and taking everything in. Once I had repeated the same thing thrice, she got a hand of it when I placed the clock in front of her. I turned the needles and made the both of them point at twelve, "Princess what time would this be?"
"Twelve."
"Very good. Twelve o clock." I moved the minute needle to 4 and looked at her when she suddenly got confused, "Twelve forty five."
"How?"
"Four into five so four and five, forty fiv.....oh no. Four into five," and she spoke under her breath, "Four fingers out," she put out four fingers and then pointed her forefinger to her brain muttering, "and five in my mind. Four into fiveeeeeeeee..........uhhhhhh......." she looked at me pouting, "I'm nervous."
I chuckled kissing her forehead, placing my arm around her waist and pulling her close, "Why are you nervous."
"Math teachers lose temper easily."
I placed my hand on my hip, "Heyyyy. Not everyone loses temper and you know I will never lose temper with you. So take your time and think. What's five into four?"
She took her time when she looked at me, "Twenty."
I ruffled her hair, "Brilliant. So what's the time?"
"Twelve twenty."
"Perfect."
I moved the needle so the minute hand was pointing at ten and the hour needle was between seven and eight, a bit closer to eight when I looked at her, "Now?"
She focused on the clock when she said after a while, "It's close to eight but not at eight meaning seven."
"Yes."
"The small needle-"
"Minute needle my love."
"Yes, the minute needle, is at ten meaning ten into five and you said whenever multiply by ten, just add the zeroes to that number meaning five with a zero makes it fifty, so the time is seven fifty."
I raised my hand asking for a high five, "Brilliant. Superb Ev."
"Hehhehehhh thank you."
I looked at the clock moving the needles, "Let's try again."
She got excited when I showed her the clock representing three fifty five. She looked closely when she suddenly yawned and I laughed tickling her stomach, "I also used to get sleepy when tough questions came."
She grinned when she stood next to me. I was sitting on the sofa in my office when she stood next to my knees, resting both of her elbows on my knee and then resting her left cheek on it, looking at the time when she said, "Hmmm. The small need-minute needle,"
I appreciated and rubbed her scalp, "Hmmm."
"Is almost at four, not overlapping it's diagonal as you said so it's three most probably. And the big needle is pointing at eleven meaning eleven into five and you taught me anything into one is itself so one into five is five and since there are two so two fives, so the time is three fifty five I'm tired."
I chuckled kissing her head, "Studies drain your energy that quickly eh."
She giggled when I got up and she raised her arms when I picked her up in my arms carrying her towards my room where Sophia was currently making notes about her recent patients when during the walk, Everleigh slept in my arms and I snuggled her closer, kissing her hair as I smiled at the love she gave me. And yes, I always learned maths the most complicated way, this was the easiest I could make sure that mathematics was on her tips.
*
Massimo taught her for the next few days as I was gone to Paris to check on my hotels, clubs and casinos when I was back and right now Everleigh was sitting next to me, excited to answer my questions. I placed the clock and showed her the time two thirty when she grinned a huge grin and clapped her hands standing up, "That is six ten."
My eyes widened, feeling as someone had slapped me hard when I looked back at the clock. Clearly not six ten. I looked at her, "Can you tell how?"
"The bigger needle is pointing at six, meaning six. The smaller needle meaning minute needle as you taught is at two meaning two into five meaning ten AHA!!!!!"
Okay.
Ashton calm down. Breath. It's okay.
I slowly nodded when I fake clapped, "Brilliant. Let's try again."
She nodded and did a mini dance when I showed her twelve o clock and she clapped her hand
again, "Twelve sixty."
WHATTTTTTTTTTT?
OH MY WHATTTTTTT?
TWELVE SIXTY? WHAT IN THE WORLD?
"How darling?"
"Both at twelve meaning one is twelve. Other twelve means into five and you taught me mental maths. Twelve into five means first two into five meaning ten. Zero comes down and the one gets carried up with the one. Five into one is five and add that remaining one meaning six, hence six and zero is sixty, hence twelve sixty YESSSSSSS!!!!!!"
I nodded when I tried one last time to check my sanity, I showed her two o clock when she pointed her hand at the clock, "Easy. Two o clock."
First right response.
"Perfect."
I showed her five forty five when she took her time and then spoke with confidently, "Nine twenty five."
I breathed in and out when I looked at her, "Who taught you these basics after I left as I am impressed." I wanted to reconfirm that it was that fucker.
She grinned, "Uncle Moose."
Hmm. I was controlling myself as I had too many curse words on the tip of my tongue.
I nodded, "Well done princess. You performed even better than me."
Her eyes lit up, "REALLLLYYYY?"
"Oh definitely. Even I wasn't this smart at your age."
"THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!" and she hugged me when I hugged her back and told her to go to Sophia. Leaving my room I barged downstairs towards Massimo's room when I knocked loudly, "MASSIMO! COME THE FUCK OUT YOU ILLITERATE PIECE OF HOMELESS SHIT ASS DUDE FUCKER-"
Lana opened the door bewildered, "Boss, he isn't here-"
"Where is that dipshit of a fucker?"
"Um I would have normally asked what he did today but I know you aren't in the mood so he is in the gym."
"Thank you." and swivelling around I went downstairs, not before grabbing the cricket bat in my hands as I was so pissed. I had tried so hard to get her on the track and this man hadddddddd to mess it up. I went inside the gym to see that he was doing squats. My men greeted me when I ignored them and went up to him. As soon as he lowered down, I swungggggggg the bat and kept hitting his butt three times when he fell on the floor and tried getting up but I never gave him the chance since I kept on hitting him when everyone stood and witnessed boss hitting someone with a bat.
"Owww owww owww stoppppp, what is it."
I swung the bat at his legs harder when I stopped, breathing heavily and looked at him, "WHICH TIME IS TWELVE SIXTY YOUUUUUUUUU FUUCKERRRRRRR." and I hit the bat again when he laughed trying to get away as he muttered, "Oh so this is what it is about."
I exited the gym dragging him by his ear when I roared to the other men, "STOP STARING LIKE BANSHEES AND PRACTICE YOU MOTHERFUCKING IDIOTS!"
They resumed practicing when I closed the gym door and looked the idiot grinning at me when I locked my arms and started tapping my foot, "Wellll????"
"It was fun."
I kept staring at him looking daggers into his soul.
Kept staring.
Kept staring.
Kept staring.
He grinned, "Hehehheehhe."
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Do let me know. Chapter 73 comes July 16, 2021.