Chapter 185

Requested by: @shythehottest07

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The Great Daycare Jealousy Incident

The afternoon sun was warm as Lisa and Jennie arrived at Ruby’s daycare to pick up their four-year-old dumpling.

Ruby was wearing her favorite yellow duck onesie despite it being slightly too warm for it.

According to Ruby, fashion came before comfort.

The little girl spotted her Mama and Mommy through the classroom window and immediately ran toward them with her tiny backpack bouncing behind her.

“MAMA! MOMMY!”

She launched herself straight into Lisa’s arms.

“There’s my baby dumpling,” Lisa laughed, lifting her up.

Ruby giggled and buried her face into Lisa’s shoulder.

Everything was perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

One of Ruby’s classmates walked over holding a drawing.

“Auntie Lisa! Look!”

Lisa smiled warmly.

“Wow! That’s such a beautiful drawing!”

The little boy beamed.

“And look at your dinosaur coloring! You’re so talented!”

The teacher laughed.

“He worked really hard on it today.”

Lisa nodded.

“You did amazing, buddy.”

The little boy practically glowed with pride.

Meanwhile…

Ruby froze.

Her eyes slowly shifted toward Lisa.

Then toward the boy.

Then back toward Lisa.

Her tiny eyebrows lowered.

Her cheeks puffed.

And then-

The most dramatic eye roll ever witnessed by mankind.

Even Jennie saw it.

“Oh no,” Jennie whispered.

Lisa didn’t notice.

Big mistake.

Huge mistake.

The entire ride home was filled with silence.

Not normal silence.

Dangerous silence.

Ruby sat in her car seat with her arms crossed.

Her duck hood was up.

Her lips were sticking out.

And she refused to look at Lisa.

Instead she clung to Jennie’s arm like a baby koala.

“Baby dumpling?” Lisa asked.

No response.

“Ruby?”

Nothing.

Only another eye roll.

Jennie bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

Ruby dramatically turned her head away.

“Hmph.”

Lisa looked genuinely confused.

“Did something happen at daycare?”

Ruby tightened her grip around Jennie’s arm.

“Hmph.”

Jennie finally understood.

“Oh.”

Lisa glanced at her.

“Oh what?”

Jennie gave her a look.

The look.

The one that said you messed up and don’t even know it.

Lisa blinked.

Then blinked again.

Then realization hit.

“Oh.”

Another eye roll from Ruby.

A very aggressive one.

Lisa nearly laughed.

“Baby, are you jealous?”

“No.”

The answer came way too fast.

Jennie snorted.

Ruby immediately buried her face into her Mommy’s shoulder.

“Mama likes other babies.”

There it was.

The accusation.

Lisa gasped dramatically.

“What?!”

Ruby nodded sadly.

“You said he’s talented.”

“He is talented.”

Ruby’s pout grew bigger.

“And cute.”

Lisa had indeed called him cute.

That had apparently been the final betrayal.

Jennie finally lost the battle and started laughing.

“Mommy!”

Ruby whined.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

Jennie kissed her forehead.

But she was absolutely not sorry.

The whole situation was adorable.

Lisa reached back from the driver’s seat and gently poked Ruby’s knee.

“Baby dumpling.”

No answer.

“Ruby.”

Nothing.

“Mama only has one favorite baby.”

Ruby’s eyes shifted slightly.

Just slightly.

Lisa noticed.

“One favorite baby with fluffy mandu cheeks.”

Ruby tried to stay mad.

Failed a little.

“One favorite baby who wears duck onesies.”

The pout weakened.

“One favorite baby who steals Mommy’s ice cream.”

Ruby looked interested now.

Jennie immediately caught on.

“Speaking of ice cream…”

Ruby’s head snapped up.

“What ice cream?”

Jennie grinned.

“Oh, I was thinking maybe my poor jealous baby dumpling needs emergency ice cream treatment.”

Ruby blinked.

“Emergency?”

“Very serious emergency.”

Lisa nodded solemnly.

“Extremely serious.”

Ruby considered this.

The sulking level dropped by about forty percent.

“What flavor?”

Jennie smiled.

“Whatever flavor my baby wants.”

Ruby gasped.

“The big cone?”

“The big cone.”

“With sprinkles?”

“With sprinkles.”

“And marshmallows?”

Jennie laughed.

“Sure.”

Ruby looked at Lisa.

Still slightly offended.

Still slightly jealous.

But mostly interested in ice cream.

Lisa held out her pinky.

“Truce?”

Ruby stared at it.

“Hmmm.”

The tiny negotiator was making Mama work for it.

Lisa added, “And Mama will tell you a secret.”

Ruby leaned forward.

“What secret?”

Lisa smiled.

“No baby in the whole world is cuter than my Ruby.”

Ruby’s cheeks immediately turned pink.

Jennie watched her daughter try-and fail-to hide her smile.

The little girl finally hooked her pinky around Lisa’s.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

Ruby nodded.

“You’re forgiven.”

“Thank goodness.”

“But Mama.”

“Yes?”

Ruby pointed dramatically at herself.

“I’m still the cutest.”

Jennie burst out laughing.

Lisa nodded without hesitation.

“Obviously.”

Ruby smiled proudly.

The daycare jealousy crisis had officially ended.

Mostly because of ice cream.

And because being Mama’s favorite baby dumpling was a title Ruby intended to defend for the rest of her life.