Chapter 168

The Kim-Manoban household had faced many challenges before.

Sleepless nights when Ruby was a newborn.

The terrifying phase when she learned how to climb everything in sight.

The endless battle of convincing her that vegetables were not, in fact, evil.

But nothing—absolutely nothing—had prepared Jennie and Lisa for potty training.

“She’s not ready,” Lisa whispered dramatically as she watched their two-year-old daughter waddle across the living room in a diaper decorated with tiny strawberries.

Ruby stopped in front of the couch and proudly patted her diaper.

“My butt fluffy.”

Jennie sighed.

“That’s exactly the problem.”

Ruby loved her diapers.

Loved them.

She treated them like a security blanket.

Any attempt to remove them was met with immediate betrayal.

The first day of potty training began with optimism.

The second it ended with chaos.

“Ruby,” Jennie said sweetly, kneeling beside the tiny training potty. “Big girls use the potty.”

Ruby blinked.

Then she placed Mochi’s favorite toy inside it.

“There.”

“No, baby.”

Ruby nodded proudly.

“Mochi potty.”

The corgi barked from across the room as if personally offended.

Lisa nearly choked trying not to laugh.

By lunchtime, Ruby had successfully sat on the potty fourteen times.

Done absolutely nothing.

And demanded a cookie after each attempt.

“She’s scamming us,” Lisa muttered.

Jennie nodded.

“She definitely is.”

The next morning they tried encouragement.

“Look,” Lisa said, pointing to herself. “Mama uses the bathroom.”

“Mommy uses the bathroom too,” Jennie added.

Ruby stared.

Then pointed at herself.

“Ruby baby.”

“Yes.”

“Baby wear diaper.”

“…”

“…”

Neither parent had a counterargument.

The third day somehow became worse.

Ruby refused to wear underwear.

She carried her diaper around the house like it was a beloved stuffed animal.

Whenever Jennie tried putting little training pants on her, Ruby dramatically fell onto the floor.

“Nooooo.”

“Ruby.”

“Nooooo.”

“Baby.”

“NOOOOOOO.”

Lisa watched from the kitchen.

“She’s inherited your drama.”

Jennie gasped.

“My drama?”

Ruby immediately pointed at Jennie.

“Mommy drama.”

Lisa burst out laughing so hard she nearly dropped her coffee.

Even Jennie couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

The real breakthrough happened completely by accident.

One afternoon Ruby was following Mochi around the house.

The corgi suddenly disappeared toward the back door.

A few seconds later Ruby heard the sound of the doggy door opening.

Curious, she followed.

Outside, Mochi was doing his business in the yard.

Ruby watched carefully.

Very carefully.

Then she ran back inside.

“MAMA!”

Lisa looked up.

“What happened?”

“Mochi potty!”

“Good job, Mochi.”

Ruby pointed dramatically toward the yard.

“Mochi big girl!”

Lisa snorted.

Jennie buried her face in her hands.

That evening Ruby suddenly became very interested in the training potty.

She sat on it.

Stood up.

Sat again.

Then stood.

Then sat.

Then stood.

Lisa and Jennie waited nervously nearby.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Suddenly Ruby froze.

Her eyes widened.

And then—

Success.

Complete success.

For three seconds the room was completely silent.

Ruby looked down.

Looked at the potty.

Then looked at her mothers.

“I DID IT!”

Jennie screamed.

Lisa screamed.

Mochi started barking.

Everyone celebrated as if Ruby had just graduated university.

Jennie scooped her up immediately.

“Oh my gosh! You did it!”

Ruby giggled.

“I big girl now?”

“Yes!”

“A very big girl.”

Ruby thought about that.

Then puffed out her tiny chest proudly.

“Big girl dumpling.”

“The biggest.”

That night Ruby received stickers.

A special dessert.

Three phone calls to grandparents.

And approximately seven hundred kisses.

The following week wasn’t perfect.

There were accidents.

There were tears.

There were moments where Ruby demanded her diapers back.

But slowly she improved.

Little by little.

Until one morning she proudly waddled into the kitchen wearing tiny pink underwear covered in cartoon clouds.

“No diaper.”

Jennie nearly cried.

Lisa actually did cry.

“Our baby is growing up.”

Ruby looked concerned.

“Mama sad?”

Lisa immediately pulled her into a hug.

“A little.”

Ruby wrapped her tiny arms around Lisa’s neck.

“No sad.”

Then she kissed her cheek.

“Ruby still baby dumpling.”

Lisa laughed through her tears.

Jennie smiled softly.

Their daughter might be learning how to use the potty.

She might be growing bigger every day.

But as Ruby snuggled comfortably between them during breakfast, demanding pancakes and extra strawberries, one thing was certain.

No matter how old she got.

No matter how many diapers disappeared.

Ruby would always be their fluffy little baby dumpling.