Chapter 145

The Saturday morning started with tiny socked feet stomping across the penthouse.

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”

A small dumpling-shaped missile launched herself onto the bed, landing directly on top of Jennie Kim with dramatic force.

“Oof-” Jennie groaned while laughing. “Ruby Kim-Manobal, why are you attacking your poor mother at eight in the morning?”

Five-year-old Ruby Kim-Manobal gasped dramatically.

“I not attacking,” she corrected. “I cuddling.”

Jennie opened one eye and nearly melted on the spot.

Ruby was wearing her favorite peach-colored hoodie, her fluffy cheeks squished from sleep, clutching her duck plushie under one arm like emotional support.

Exactly like Lisa.

Which was dangerous.

Because now Jennie had two clingy babies in her life.

“Mommy…” Ruby whispered, crawling closer until their noses touched. “Can we go on Mommy and Dumpling date today?”

Jennie blinked.

“Just us?”

Ruby nodded seriously. “Mama always steals you.”

Jennie burst out laughing.

“She does,” she agreed immediately.

“Mama clingy.”

“She is.”

“Mama cry if you no kiss her.”

“She absolutely does.”

Ruby crossed her little arms with a wise nod. “Very dramatic.”

Jennie nearly rolled off the bed laughing because the audacity of Lisa’s daughter saying that was insane.

A second later, the bedroom door opened.

And there stood Lisa Manobal holding coffee.

“…Why are both of you exposing me this early in the morning?”

Ruby pointed accusingly.

“You attached to Mommy like koala.”

Lisa looked offended. “Excuse me? Your bedtime routine literally requires cupping your mommy’s cheeks like a stress ball.”

Ruby gasped.

“That private information!”

Jennie was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

–

By noon, Jennie and Ruby were out for their official “Mommy and Dumpling Day.”

Lisa had packed them snacks like they were leaving for war.

“Baby wipes, tissues, extra hoodie, Ruby’s water bottle, emergency crackers, emergency cookies-“

“Babe,” Jennie interrupted while fixing her sunglasses. “We’re going to the mall. Not climbing Mount Everest.”

Lisa narrowed her eyes.

“And yet every single time you two go out alone, chaos happens.”

Ruby held Jennie’s hand proudly. “Cause we iconic.”

Lisa sighed deeply.

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

–

The entire mall practically melted when Jennie and Ruby walked in together.

Because Ruby was basically tiny Jennie.

Tiny pout. Tiny cheeks. Tiny Chanel purse.

Only fluffier.

Way fluffier.

Jennie absolutely loved it.

No matter how many nutritionists, trainers, or fashion people around them obsessed over slim figures, Jennie made sure Ruby grew up hearing one thing every day:

“You’re healthy, happy, and perfect.”

And Ruby believed it completely.

Especially because her Mommy said it.

The two spent hours together.

Shopping.

Eating.

Taking photobooth pictures.

Ruby sat on Jennie’s lap while eating cream-filled donuts, happily kicking her little legs.

“Mommy?”

“Hm?”

“If I become bigger…”

Jennie immediately looked at her.

Ruby poked her own cheek. “Will I still be cute?”

Jennie looked genuinely horrified.

“Ruby Kim-Manobal,” she said seriously, holding her face. “You could become the size of this entire mall and you’d still be Mommy’s cutest dumpling.”

Ruby giggled loudly.

“Even bigger than Mama’s butt?”

Jennie choked on her coffee.

“RUBY-“

–

Unfortunately, peace never lasts long around celebrities.

Especially not when strangers decided to become brave for no reason.

Jennie and Ruby were leaving a toy store when another mother nearby glanced at Ruby.

Then she laughed lightly to her own child.

“She’s too fat for her age.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Jennie stopped walking instantly.

The air around her shifted so fast even the security guards behind them straightened.

Ruby blinked slowly.

Jennie removed her sunglasses.

And oh.

Oh no.

That was the Jennie Kim stare.

The terrifying one.

The woman clearly realized too late who she was talking to because Jennie’s expression turned ice cold.

Excuse me?

Before Jennie could even speak-

Ruby gasped dramatically.

Then the tiny dumpling LET GO of Jennie’s hand and marched forward with pure offended rage.

Jennie immediately knew this was about to become a disaster.

“Ruby-“

“At least I eat more than thrice a day unlike YOU…”

The entire hallway froze.

Ruby pointed with maximum sass.

“STICK!!!!”

Jennie slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

The woman looked absolutely shocked.

But Ruby wasn’t done.

“My Mama can buy you sticks!” she huffed. “She own this mall anyway!”

Jennie finally lost it.

She turned away coughing because she was laughing too hard.

Then Ruby copied Jennie’s iconic judgmental rolled eyes perfectly.

Exactly perfectly.

Same expression.

Same sass.

Same tiny attitude.

People nearby were already hiding laughs.

One security guard looked seconds away from collapsing.

The woman sputtered angrily, “That is incredibly rude!”

Jennie finally looked back, immediately protective again.

“My daughter learned not to comment on other people’s bodies,” she said coldly. “Maybe teach yours the same.”

The woman grabbed her child and stormed away in embarrassment.

Ruby crossed her arms angrily.

“She mean.”

Jennie crouched down immediately.

“Baby,” she said gently, fixing Ruby’s hoodie, “we don’t insult people’s bodies back, okay?”

Ruby looked guilty for half a second.

“…Even if she shaped like expired chopstick?”

Jennie SNORTED.

Actually snorted.

“RUBY!”

“I sorry!”

Jennie sighed while pulling her into a hug.

“You’re not ‘too fat.’ You’re healthy and loved and adorable.”

Ruby mumbled into her neck, “And fluffy.”

“And fluffy,” Jennie agreed.

Then Ruby whispered dramatically:

“She attacked the dumpling bloodline, Mommy.”

Jennie lost her composure again.

–

An hour later, backup finally arrived.

Because apparently security had informed Lisa about “a verbal incident involving tiny celebrity child aggression.”

Lisa came marching through the mall wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap with the expression of a woman prepared for battle.

She found Jennie and Ruby calmly eating pretzels.

Lisa stared.

“…Why do you both look relaxed?”

Ruby happily waved. “Mama!”

Lisa crouched in front of them.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL FOR BACKUP?!”

Jennie pointed at Ruby.

“She handled it.”

Lisa blinked.

“What.”

Ruby puffed her chest proudly. “I defended Mommy honor.”

Lisa slowly looked at Jennie.

Jennie immediately failed to hide her smile.

“…Baby.”

“She called the lady a stick.”

Lisa froze.

Then she looked at Ruby.

Then at Jennie.

Then back at Ruby.

And suddenly Lisa covered her face because she was laughing too hard.

“Oh my god…” she wheezed. “That’s literally Jennie in child form…”

Ruby gasped happily.

“THANK YOU!”

Jennie looked offended. “Why are you proud?!”

Lisa wrapped both arms around them dramatically.

“My girls are insane.”

Ruby nodded proudly. “But cute.”

Lisa kissed Ruby’s forehead.

“The cutest.”

Then Jennie’s forehead.

“And the scariest.”

Jennie smirked. “As we should be.”

Ruby copied the exact same smirk.

Lisa stared at both of them in horror.

“…There’s two of you now.”