Chapter 166

Ruby had been perfectly happy all afternoon.

She was curled up between Jennie and Lisa on the living room couch, wearing her favorite fluffy duck pajamas while Mochi snored against her tiny legs. A bowl of popcorn sat on her lap, and she happily stuffed handfuls into her mouth as the family movie played on the television.

At first, the movie was funny.

The little girl in the story went on adventures, made silly faces, and loved spending time with her parents.

Ruby giggled so much that popcorn nearly flew out of her nose.

Jennie laughed while wiping butter from Ruby’s cheek.

Lisa simply watched her daughter with fond eyes.

Their baby dumpling was adorable.

Then the movie changed.

The little girl in the story found out she was going to have a baby sibling.

At first Ruby didn’t think much of it.

But as the movie continued, the parents became busier and busier with the new baby.

The little girl felt left out.

She ate dinner alone.

She played alone.

Her parents missed her school events because they were taking care of the baby.

Ruby’s smile slowly disappeared.

The popcorn bowl remained untouched.

Her tiny shoulders became tense.

Jennie noticed immediately.

“Baby?” she asked softly.

Ruby didn’t answer.

Her eyes remained glued to the television.

Then came the scene that completely shattered her little heart.

The little girl in the movie sadly asked her parents if they still loved her.

The parents were too distracted by the crying baby to answer right away.

That was it.

Ruby’s lower lip trembled.

Her eyes filled with tears.

And suddenly—

“WAAAAAHHHHH!”

The loud sob startled both Jennie and Lisa.

Mochi even jumped awake.

“Ruby?!” Jennie exclaimed.

“My baby!” Lisa cried.

Ruby burst into tears so dramatically that she practically folded herself in half.

Big tears streamed down her cheeks.

Her face turned red.

Her breathing became all hiccupy.

Jennie immediately muted the television.

Lisa scooped Ruby onto her lap.

“Baby dumpling, what’s wrong?” Lisa asked urgently.

Ruby cried harder.

“T-The baby…” she sniffled.

“What baby?” Jennie asked.

“The movie baby!”

Jennie and Lisa exchanged confused looks.

Ruby pointed a trembling finger at the television.

“The little girl got replaced!”

More tears.

“Nobody wanted her anymore!”

More sobbing.

“Her mommy and daddy only wanted the new baby!”

Jennie immediately understood.

“Oh.”

Lisa understood too.

Their dramatic little dumpling had absorbed the movie directly into her heart.

Ruby buried her face into Lisa’s chest.

“W-What if that happens to me?”

Jennie’s heart nearly broke.

Lisa looked horrified.

“What?”

Ruby’s voice came out muffled.

“What if you get another baby and don’t want me anymore?”

“Ruby.”

“What if the new baby is cuter?”

“Baby—”

“What if Mommy only hugs the new baby?”

“What if Mama forgets me?”

“What if—”

“RUBY.”

The little girl froze.

Jennie gently cupped her daughter’s tear-stained cheeks.

Her voice was firm but incredibly soft.

“Listen to me.”

Ruby sniffled.

Jennie kissed her forehead.

“We won’t have another baby.”

Ruby blinked.

Jennie smiled.

“We only want you.”

More tears appeared.

This time they were emotional tears.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Lisa immediately joined in.

“No more babies.”

Ruby looked at her suspiciously.

“No babies?”

Lisa shook her head dramatically.

“Nope.”

“Not even one?”

“Nope.”

“Not even a tiny one?”

“Nope.”

Ruby stared.

Lisa stared back.

Then Lisa gently poked Ruby’s squishy cheek.

“Only one baby dumpling.”

Ruby’s lip wobbled.

“Me?”

“You.”

Jennie nodded.

“Only you can be our baby dumpling forever.”

That finally broke Ruby again.

But this time she cried because she felt loved.

She launched herself at both of her parents.

Jennie barely had time to catch her.

The three ended up tangled together on the couch while Ruby squeezed them with all the strength a five-year-old possessed.

“I wanna be your baby forever,” Ruby sniffled.

“You will be,” Jennie promised.

“Forever and ever,” Lisa added.

“Even when I’m big?”

“Yep.”

“Even when I’m twenty?”

Jennie laughed.

“Yep.”

“Thirty?”

“Yep.”

“Fifty?”

Lisa grinned.

“You’ll be a fifty-year-old baby dumpling.”

Ruby finally giggled through her tears.

The image of herself as a grown woman still being called Baby Dumpling was apparently very funny.

Jennie wiped away the remaining tears from Ruby’s cheeks.

“There is nobody in this world who could replace you.”

Lisa nodded immediately.

“Absolutely nobody.”

Ruby looked between them.

“Promise?”

Jennie held out her pinky.

“Promise.”

Lisa linked her pinky too.

“Promise.”

Ruby wrapped both hands around their fingers.

The pinky promise was sealed.

Satisfied at last, Ruby snuggled between her parents again.

Jennie kissed the top of her head.

Lisa rubbed her back.

Within minutes their emotional little dumpling was peacefully asleep against them.

Her cheeks were still slightly puffy from crying.

Her hands were clutching both of her parents’ shirts.

As if making absolutely sure they couldn’t disappear.

Jennie looked down at her sleeping daughter and smiled.

“Our dramatic baby.”

Lisa chuckled quietly.

“The movie wasn’t even that sad.”

Ruby let out a sleepy mumble.

“No new baby…”

Jennie and Lisa immediately kissed opposite sides of her head.

“No new baby,” Jennie whispered.

“Only our Ruby,” Lisa whispered.

And with that reassurance, their precious baby dumpling slept soundly in the safest place she knew—

Right between her Mommy and Mama, exactly where she belonged.