Chapter 149

The next morning, Ruby climbed onto the kitchen counter while Jennie Kim made pancakes and Lalisa Manobal prepared Ruby’s lunchbox.

Everything was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Which should’ve warned them.

Ruby kicked her tiny feet happily before suddenly asking, “Sooo… how was I inside Mommy’s tummy for nine months?”

Jennie paused mid-flip of the pancake.

Lisa slowly closed the lunchbox.

“And…” Ruby continued seriously, “was I a behave dumpling?!”

Jennie immediately started laughing.

Lisa pointed at Ruby accusingly. “Absolutely not.”

Ruby gasped dramatically. “MAMA!”

“You were chaos,” Lisa said without hesitation.

Jennie nodded while trying not to laugh too hard. “Tiny chaos.”

Ruby looked deeply offended. “Nooooo. I’m cute.”

“You were cute and violent,” Jennie corrected.

Ruby blinked. “Violent?”

Lisa walked over dramatically and crouched in front of her daughter.

“Baby,” Lisa said seriously, “you kicked Mommy ALL THE TIME.”

Ruby’s jaw dropped.

“I did NOT.”

Jennie placed a hand over her heart. “You absolutely did.”

Lisa immediately demonstrated with sound effects.

“BAM. BAM. BAM.”

Ruby started giggling.

“You especially loved kicking whenever Mommy wanted to sleep,” Jennie continued. “The moment I laid down? Boom. Tiny feet attack.”

Ruby covered her mouth in shock. “I bullied Mommy?!”

“A little,” Jennie teased.

Lisa nodded. “And you loved food.”

Jennie sighed dramatically at the memory. “Your cravings were unbelievable.”

Ruby tilted her head. “What’s cravings?”

“It means Mommy suddenly wanted certain foods because of you,” Lisa explained.

Ruby gasped excitedly. “Like dumplings?!”

Jennie pointed at her instantly. “Exactly dumplings.”

Lisa started laughing again. “At 2 a.m.”

Ruby looked proud instead of guilty.

“And spicy noodles,” Jennie added.

“And mangoes,” Lisa said.

“And one time,” Jennie narrowed her eyes at Lisa, “your Mama drove across the city because I suddenly cried over strawberry cake.”

Ruby looked amazed. “Mama did that?”

Lisa shrugged proudly. “Of course. Mommy was carrying our precious dumpling.”

Ruby immediately turned emotional.

“Awww…”

Jennie smiled softly before poking Ruby’s cheek. “But you also made Mommy super emotional.”

Ruby blinked innocently. “How?”

“One commercial about puppies made Mommy cry for forty minutes,” Lisa exposed.

Jennie gasped. “THE PUPPIES WERE SAD.”

Ruby burst into tiny squeaky laughs.

Then her eyes widened suddenly.

“WAIT. Did I hear everything when I was in Mommy’s tummy?”

Jennie nodded gently. “You could hear our voices near the end.”

Ruby’s mouth formed a tiny “o.”

Lisa smiled softly at the memory. “Mommy used to talk to you every night.”

Jennie’s expression instantly softened.

“I told you about my day,” she said quietly while brushing Ruby’s hair back. “And how excited I was to meet you.”

“And I sang to you,” Lisa added proudly.

Jennie snorted. “Very loudly.”

“I’m an amazing singer.”

“You’re dramatic.”

Ruby stared at them lovingly before asking the most dangerous question yet.

“Did I know Mama was clingy already?”

Jennie BURST out laughing.

Lisa looked betrayed. “Why is everyone attacking me in my own house?”

Ruby copied Jennie’s eye roll perfectly. “Because you cling to Mommy like koala.”

“That’s called love,” Lisa defended dramatically.

Jennie kissed Ruby’s cheek. “And you inherited it.”

Ruby immediately wrapped herself around Jennie’s arm like a baby koala.

“I was clingy even before birth?”

Lisa pointed dramatically. “You literally refused to stop moving unless Mommy rubbed her tummy.”

Ruby looked ridiculously proud of herself.

“I was already loving Mommy!”

Jennie melted instantly.

“Aigoo… my baby.”

Ruby then leaned close and whispered loudly, “Was I fluffy already?”

Lisa nodded seriously. “Very fluffy.”

Jennie laughed. “Your cheeks showed up first in the ultrasound.”

Ruby screamed happily. “I KNEW IT.”

Then she suddenly hugged Jennie tightly around the waist.

“Sorry for kicking you, Mommy.”

Jennie smiled warmly and kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, Baby Mandu. Every kick reminded me you were there.”

Ruby looked up softly. “Even when I was naughty?”

“Especially then,” Jennie whispered.

Lisa wrapped both arms around them dramatically from behind again.

“And when Ruby was born,” Lisa said proudly, “she came out already looking like a steamed dumpling.”

Jennie nodded immediately. “Round cheeks. Angry face. Tiny fluff ball.”

Ruby looked delighted. “I was born adorable.”

“You still are,” Jennie and Lisa said together.

Ruby grinned proudly before stealing a pancake and running away while yelling-

“THE BEST THING MOMMY EVER COOKED INSIDE HER TUMMY WAS MEEEEEE!”