Chapter 143

The daycare center was louder than usual.

Tiny rain boots squeaked across the polished floor while children in oversized scout uniforms ran around carrying pillows, sleeping bags, and plushies bigger than their torsos. Teachers tried their best to organize the chaos, but it was impossible when thirty excited kids were preparing for their very first overnight Girl Scout activity.

And in the middle of it all stood five-year-old Ruby.

Or more accurately-

A tiny dumpling wrapped in a peach-colored mandu hoodie, proudly wearing her little scout vest with way too many decorative patches because Lisa kept sewing random cute things onto it.

A strawberry patch. A duck patch. A patch that literally said “BABY MANDU.”

“Baby, you look so cool,” Lisa said while crouching in front of her daughter, adjusting her neckerchief dramatically. “The coolest scout ever.”

Ruby puffed her cheeks proudly. “I know.”

Jennie snorted beside them. “Confidence. Definitely your daughter.”

“Our daughter,” Lisa corrected instantly before kissing Ruby’s forehead.

Ruby giggled while hugging her yellow duck plushie tightly under one arm. The duck was old, fluffy, slightly crooked from years of cuddles, and absolutely mandatory for sleeping.

Its name was Sir Quackington.

Jennie still regretted letting Lisa name it.

The teacher approached them with a warm smile. “Don’t worry, moms. We’ll take good care of her.”

Ruby nodded bravely despite clutching Jennie’s fingers tighter.

“You’re staying all night with your friends, remember?” Jennie reminded gently.

Ruby swallowed hard.

She wanted to be brave.

All her classmates were staying overnight too.

There would be marshmallows, stories, games, and movie time.

She had even spent the whole week telling everyone she was a “big girl scout now.”

But now that the moment actually arrived…

Her tiny fingers trembled slightly around Jennie’s hand.

Lisa noticed immediately.

“Hey,” she said softly, brushing Ruby’s fluffy bangs aside. “You okay, baby mandu?”

Ruby nodded too quickly.

Too suspiciously quickly.

Jennie and Lisa exchanged a look.

Ah.

The Kim family clinginess.

Genetic.

Severe.

Jennie crouched down and cupped Ruby’s cheeks automatically.

Immediately, Ruby leaned into her palms like a flower turning toward sunlight.

“There she is,” Jennie whispered fondly.

Ruby’s eyes already looked watery.

“M-My Mommy hands…”

Lisa almost melted on the spot.

Because yes.

Ruby had developed a horrible habit since infancy.

She could not sleep unless she held Jennie’s cheeks.

Not hands.

Not arms.

Cheeks.

Ever since she was a baby dumpling, she would fall asleep with both little hands squishing Jennie’s face like stress balls.

And unfortunately…

The habit never disappeared.

Jennie sighed dramatically. “I told you we should’ve stopped this when she was two.”

Lisa gasped. “And reject baby mandu cuddles?! Monster behavior.”

“You literally encouraged it!”

“Because it’s cute!”

“It’s becoming a medical condition.”

Ruby whimpered softly, already emotional.

Jennie instantly softened. “Aigoo, don’t cry yet, baby.”

“I’m not crying…”

A tear rolled down.

Lisa panicked immediately. “NOOOO. Baby scout, stay strong!”

That made Ruby laugh through her sniffles.

The teacher smiled reassuringly. “Most kids get emotional later in the night. She’ll probably be okay once activities start.”

And honestly?

At first-

She was okay.

Very okay.

Too okay.

Jennie and Lisa received about seventeen photos within two hours.

Ruby decorating cupcakes. Ruby roasting marshmallows. Ruby saluting dramatically. Ruby sitting proudly with her friends while holding Sir Quackington like an honored scout member.

Lisa nearly cried from cuteness.

“She looks so grown up…”

Jennie leaned against her shoulder while looking at the pictures. “Mhm.”

Then another picture arrived.

Ruby asleep during movie time with her mouth open.

Jennie zoomed in instantly.

“She drools exactly like you.”

Lisa gasped in betrayal.

“You carried her!”

“And she still copied you.”

Everything seemed perfect.

Until bedtime.

The daycare lights dimmed softly while sleepy children crawled into sleeping bags. Teachers moved around carefully, helping kids settle down.

Some children whispered. Some giggled. Some immediately passed out.

Ruby sat quietly in her tiny sleeping bag wearing her fluffy cream-colored mandu onesie with little dumpling ears on the hood.

Sir Quackington was tucked under her chin.

The teacher smiled gently. “Ready for bed, Ruby?”

Ruby nodded.

But her eyes kept darting around nervously.

The room felt…

Wrong.

Too quiet.

Too unfamiliar.

Too far away from home.

Too far away from her Mommy.

She lay down obediently anyway.

One minute passed.

Then five.

Then ten.

Children around her slowly drifted to sleep.

But Ruby remained awake.

Her tiny fingers tightened around her duck plushie.

Usually by now…

She would be lying on Jennie’s chest.

Usually Jennie’s warm hand would be rubbing her hair.

Usually Ruby would cup her Mommy’s cheeks while Jennie pretended to complain about being squished.

“Mandu baby,” Jennie would whisper.

And Ruby would sleep instantly.

But now-

Nothing.

No Mommy warmth.

No Mama’s dramatic bedtime kisses.

No familiar scent.

No soft cheeks in her hands.

Her lips trembled.

The teacher noticed first.

“Ruby?”

Ruby tried so hard.

Really hard.

But suddenly her eyes overflowed.

“I miss my Mommy…”

Oh no.

The teacher sat beside her quickly. “Sweetheart-“

“I can’t sleep…” Ruby hiccuped. “I want my Mommy cheeks…”

Several sleepy children lifted their heads in confusion.

One little girl whispered, “Mommy cheeks?”

Ruby burst into full tears.

“My Mommy’s cheeks help me sleep…”

The teacher had handled homesick children before.

But this?

This was new.

Ruby curled into herself, clutching Sir Quackington desperately while crying tiny broken hiccups.

“I wanna go hooome…”

The teacher tried comforting her for almost forty minutes.

Warm milk. Stories. Back rubs.

Nothing worked.

Because Ruby kept sobbing the same thing over and over.

“I want Mommy…”

Eventually…

The teacher sighed softly and reached for her phone.

Meanwhile-

Jennie and Lisa were peacefully watching TV at home.

Lisa was halfway through stealing Jennie’s snacks when Jennie’s phone rang.

Unknown daycare number.

Both froze instantly.

Jennie answered immediately. “Hello?”

“Hi, Ms. Kim? This is Ruby’s teacher…”

One minute later-

Lisa was already grabbing the car keys in full panic.

“What happened?! Is baby mandu hurt?!”

“She’s homesick.”

Lisa paused.

“…That’s it?”

Jennie gave her a look.

“Our daughter is crying.”

Lisa gasped. “WHY ARE WE STILL STANDING HERE?!”

Twenty minutes later-

The daycare doors opened quietly.

And the second Ruby saw them-

“MOMMYYYYYY!!”

A tiny crying dumpling launched herself across the room at terrifying speed.

Jennie barely caught her.

Ruby wrapped around her like a koala instantly, burying her wet face into Jennie’s neck while sobbing dramatically.

Lisa clutched her own chest.

“Oh my god… my baby…”

Ruby’s mandu hood had fallen sideways. Her cheeks were red and puffy. Sir Quackington dangled from one hand.

And the moment Jennie held her-

Ruby immediately grabbed Jennie’s cheeks with both tiny palms.

Silence.

Immediate peace.

Like a system reboot.

The teacher blinked in shock as Ruby’s crying slowed almost instantly.

Jennie rubbed her back gently. “There you go…”

Ruby sniffled while squishing Jennie’s cheeks.

“My Mommy…”

“Yes, baby.”

“I missed you…”

Jennie kissed her nose. “I missed you too.”

Lisa stood beside them dramatically tearing up. “She didn’t even look at me first. I carried her for nine months emotionally.”

Jennie laughed softly.

Ruby turned toward Lisa with watery eyes.

“Mama…”

Lisa melted instantly.

“Oh no. Don’t do that face.”

Ruby reached one hand toward her.

Lisa scooped both of them into a huge hug immediately.

“Our clingy little dumpling,” she whispered.

The teacher looked both amused and amazed. “The second she held your cheeks, she calmed down.”

Jennie sighed.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“She’s been doing it since infancy,” Lisa explained proudly like this was an achievement.

Jennie stared at her. “Why are you proud of this?”

“Because look at her.”

Ruby was already half asleep in Jennie’s arms while gently cupping her cheeks.

Lisa nearly burst into tears again.

“She’s just a baby…”

“She’s five.”

“Still baby.”

The teacher smiled sympathetically. “Honestly, she tried really hard to stay.”

Jennie kissed Ruby’s forehead lovingly. “I know she did.”

Ruby mumbled sleepily, “I’m brave scout…”

“You are,” Lisa said immediately.

“The bravest baby mandu scout,” Jennie added.

Ruby smiled weakly.

Then yawned.

Still holding Jennie’s cheeks.

By the time they reached the car-

She was fully asleep.

Tiny hands still attached to Jennie’s face.

Lisa carefully buckled them both in before climbing into the driver’s seat.

For several minutes, neither of them spoke.

They simply stared at their sleeping daughter.

Her duck plushie rested against her chest. Her scout vest was wrinkled. Her mandu onesie looked ridiculously fluffy under the car light.

Jennie smiled softly.

“She’s growing up too fast.”

Lisa reached over and squeezed her knee gently.

“Mhm.”

Then Ruby sleepily murmured without opening her eyes-

“Mommy don’t move your cheeks…”

Jennie burst out laughing quietly.

Lisa almost crashed emotionally.

“Nope,” Lisa whispered. “She’s never growing up.”