Chapter 180

The Kim-Manobal household was unusually quiet.

It was bedtime.

Which meant four-year-old Ruby was currently lying on her parents’ bed, refusing to actually sleep.

“Ruby.”

“No.”

“Baby.”

“No.”

“Little dumpling.”

“No.”

Jennie sighed dramatically while lying beside her daughter.

Across the room, Lisa was busy folding laundry while trying not to laugh.

“Mommy is losing the battle,” Lisa commented.

“I’m aware.”

Ruby giggled and immediately launched herself onto Jennie’s stomach.

“Attack!”

“Oof!”

“My victory!”

Jennie grabbed the little girl and pulled her into a cuddle attack.

Ruby squealed.

“Nooooo! Mommy! Mercy!”

“Never.”

Lisa watched the two rolling around the bed and shook her head fondly.

Her wife and daughter shared exactly one braincell.

And neither of them used it.

A few minutes later, Ruby was lying beside Jennie, absentmindedly playing with her mommy’s cheeks.

Something she had done since she was a baby.

Squish.

“Puffy.”

Squish.

“Mandu.”

Squish.

“My Mommy.”

Jennie smiled.

“Your Mommy?”

“Mine.”

Lisa snorted.

“Possessive little dumpling.”

“MY MOMMY.”

“Okay, okay.”

Ruby proudly nodded.

Then she started tracing Jennie’s face with her tiny fingers.

Unfortunately…

Her tiny fingernails had grown a little longer than usual.

And before anyone could react-

Scratch.

“Ack-“

Jennie flinched slightly.

A thin red line appeared on her cheek.

The room froze.

Ruby froze.

Lisa froze.

Jennie’s eyes widened.

Ruby stared at the tiny scratch.

Then at her hand.

Then at Jennie’s cheek.

Then back at her hand.

Her lip trembled.

“…Mommy?”

Jennie immediately knew what was coming.

“Ruby, baby-“

Too late.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

The crying started instantly.

Full volume.

Maximum settings.

The kind of crying that sounded like the world had ended.

Lisa dropped the laundry.

“Uh-oh.”

Ruby threw herself onto Jennie.

“IM SORRYYYYYYYYYY!!”

More crying.

“I HURTED MOMMYYYYYYYY!!”

Jennie immediately sat up.

“No, baby, no. Mommy’s okay.”

Ruby shook her head violently.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Fresh tears.

Huge tears.

The dramatic Kim genes were working overtime.

“I SCRATCHED MOMMY’S MANDU CHEEKS!”

Lisa nearly choked trying not to laugh.

The way Ruby specifically mourned the cheeks.

Not Jennie.

The cheeks.

“My precious mandu cheeks!” Ruby sobbed.

Jennie couldn’t help it.

She laughed.

Which only made Ruby cry harder.

“WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!”

“Because you’re cute.”

“I’M A CRIMINAL!”

Lisa completely lost it.

She burst into laughter.

Ruby looked absolutely betrayed.

“MAMA!”

“I’m sorry!”

“No you’re not!”

Lisa laughed harder.

Ruby buried her face into Jennie’s chest.

“I’m a bad dumpling.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Jennie gently lifted Ruby’s face.

The little girl looked devastated.

Tears.

Red nose.

Puffy cheeks.

Absolute misery.

Jennie kissed one fluffy cheek.

Then the other.

“See? Mommy’s okay.”

Ruby sniffled.

“But I hurt you.”

“It was an accident.”

“But your cheeks.”

“My cheeks survived.”

Ruby stared suspiciously at the tiny scratch.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Lisa sat beside them.

“Ruby.”

The little girl looked up.

“Do you know how many times you’ve accidentally headbutted me?”

Ruby blinked.

“…A lot?”

“A lot.”

“And stepped on Mama’s face?”

“…Maybe.”

“And kicked Mommy while sleeping?”

Jennie nodded.

“Several times.”

Ruby looked horrified.

“I DID?!”

The adults nodded together.

Ruby gasped dramatically.

“I’m dangerous.”

“No,” Jennie laughed.

“Very dangerous.”

“No.”

“Extremely dangerous.”

Jennie pinched her nose.

“You are four.”

Ruby thought about it.

Then slowly crawled into Jennie’s lap.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, baby?”

She gently touched the scratch.

Very carefully.

Like Jennie was made of glass.

“Does it still hurt?”

“A little.”

Ruby’s eyes watered again.

Jennie immediately added-

“But it’ll be gone tomorrow.”

Ruby blinked.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The little girl stared at her mommy for another moment before suddenly pressing a tiny kiss onto the scratch.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

Lisa raised an eyebrow.

“How many kisses are we doing?”

“Until it’s fixed.”

Twenty-seven kisses later, Ruby finally seemed satisfied.

“There.”

Jennie smiled.

“There?”

“All healed.”

Lisa nodded seriously.

“Medical science approves.”

Ruby puffed her chest proudly.

She was basically a doctor now.

A sleepy doctor.

Because a few seconds later she yawned.

Then another.

Then another.

Jennie tucked her against her chest.

The crying had completely exhausted her.

“Mama?”

“Yeah, dumpling?”

Ruby’s eyes were already closing.

“If I accidentally scratch Mommy again…”

Lisa smiled.

“What then?”

Ruby cuddled closer to Jennie.

“I’ll give fifty kisses.”

Jennie laughed softly and kissed the top of her daughter’s head.

“Deal.”

Within minutes, Ruby was asleep.

One tiny hand still resting protectively on Jennie’s cheek.

As if guarding her precious Mommy’s mandu cheeks from any future danger.

Including herself.

And honestly?

Jennie thought it was the cutest thing she’d ever seen.