"Little Miss Catherine"

 

 

Nana and Kris started their life as two happy couple who blend as one and moving on with their babies, Catherine and Alden. It was not easy for sure to have a baby and then added another one, but surely, both felt blessed by the presence of the kids. Nana and Kris never thought that despite the tiredness of taking care the kids there’re more precious things they found as time goes by. They learned about patience, emotion control, and of course, the hardship of becoming a parent.

Marriage is not about two people bond in a wedding reception; Kris has to take care and be responsible of Nana and their future children. And parenting is not about patiently waiting for the baby to be delivered to this world. She learned to cook when she started her marriage life with Kris, but she learned the skill of cooking, feeding her baby, while doing her daily work in one time once she turned into a working mom. If previously her sleeping time deducted by her work, now her sleeping time basically being reduced due to the kids. She made sure her daughter had done her homework and her little boy got enough food and changed his diaper before he sleep; or else, she has to wake up in the middle of the night changing it since Alden is kind of sensitive with unchanged wet diaper. Really it’s so tiring.

And it was not too much different for Kris. He only knew about work when he’s still single, he knew the art of making out and had fun with his woman when he dated Nana, but he learned how to make a baby sleep once he got Catherine in his life. He always thought that he received miracle whenever he remembered the day Catherine was born. It was full of hardship and he almost failed to greet her for the first time in the middle of the surgery room.

The first time he saw her, softly touching her hand and felt her blood-covered skin, he didn’t believe that the tiny little thing on the doctor hand is his daughter. He let out tears when he saw her face for the first time and being able to see it along with his wife made him happier. He’s a proud father, on which the same feeling appeared again when he saw Alden. Rather different with Catherine’s delivery, Kris couldn’t see Alden’s since Nana has to do caesarian surgery since she was being so weak and almost losing her consciousness when she’s about to give birth of Alden. And Alden was having a little problem back then, he got high fever the first week he’s born so he paid special attention to both Alden and Nana, for Nana also still on her recovery after the delivery process.

Those moments, however, stayed in his memory and etched on his heart. So whenever he felt like annoyed or wanted to get angry to the three of them, he would always remember on the first place that Nana, Catherine, and Alden indeed his gift from God for him to love and to be taken care of. Just like now when he has to be at home along with his only daughter Catherine. The pretty little girl started her third year in elementary school and Kris swore he sometimes couldn’t stand her witty comment and fussiness.

“Daddy, I’m confused with my math homework” she said once she opened her math book.

“Why?” Kris replied as he looked away from his laptop to the little girl across her. Both of them sat on the chair in the pantry; her doing her homework while he finished his proposal.

“Elmo has ten cookies, Birdie soon came to him and took five cookies from Elmo. Cookie Monster then come to Elmo, added another fifteen cookies and told Elmo to share it to four kids he met on the Sesame Street. Question, how may cookies each kid gets?” Catherine finished reading her homework to Kris and gave him a look.

“How many then?”

“It couldn’t be answered, Daddy. This question is impossible to happen” she reasoned, hands on her waist while she gave a confused look.

Kris chuckled and looked at his cute little girl. “Why do you think it’s impossible?”

“Because… Cookie Monster loves cookies, Dad! How could he gave fifteen cookies to Elmo and even asked him to share it with other kids? He would take away the cookies Elmo has and ate all of it on his own!”

Kris almost burst into laugh as he heard her reason. Really, sometimes kid think the unthinkable which made him realized how long he has been so logical with everything in his life. Kris scoffed and came closer to her.

“Honey you know, it doesn’t matter. Maybe Cookie Monster just wants to share the cookies he has. Maybe he’s on cookies diet, so rather than keeping the cookies on his home and ruined his diet, he better gave it to the other. It’s possible, right?”

Catherine suddenly let out a giggle as she listened to Kris’ answer about the cookies.

“Why?”

“Mommy should be friend with Cookie Monster, so she could throw away the cookies and stay on diet…” she giggled again, making Kris laughed at her also and playfully ruffled her long hair. “Does mommy always ruin her diet?”

“Yes… Mommy said she won’t eat the Choco chip cookies grandma sent last week since it made her fat, but she kept eating it…”

“Really?”

“Yes!” Catherine answered with a sure nod, hiding her wide smile with her hand, just like how Nana laughed and he noticed how similar Catherine and Nana.

And Kris wondered why his wife kept telling him she gained weight. It must have been fun teasing on Nana later on about the cookies. A sound heard from the front door.

“Honey…I’m home!”

“Mommy is home! Don’t tell her I told you about the cookies, Dad!” Catherine said as she covered his lips. Kris nodded, biting his own lips. How cute this little adorable girl, his own baby girl… She took her thumb and raised it to the air, telling him that they’re going to be fine. She pretended to do her homework again when Nana walked to the kitchen with a wide smile displayed on her face. She’s just back from the grocery shopping and placed her shopping bags on the table.

“How are you my two lovely studying buddies?” she said, placing a kiss on Catherine’s cheek and also on Kris. “Are you done with your homework, Baby?”

“Almost. Daddy is helping me to finish it” Catherine looked at her mom and smiled cutely.

“Aww… That’s sweet. Now let me make some food for the two of you for working hard on the homework. How about some Korean food for tonight’s dinner?”

“Yay!” the girl cheered on her mother’s suggestion.

“Ok, Korean food it is!” Nana playfully did hi-five with Catherine and focused back on her shopping bags, diligently separated the items she brought while sometimes talked to Kris and asked about his work. And he joined her as he helped her put the items she bought to the cupboard on the kitchen, sometimes stealing a kiss on her forehead or on her pink lips, earning a growl protest from his pretty wife. But he enjoyed it anyway, teasing her while sometimes answering Catherine’s homework and worked on the dinner along with her.

Really, his life couldn’t be happier than this.

 

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“Kris, I have to go to pick my mom in the airport. I’m not going directly to home because I want to check on the furniture store along with my mom. Is it fine for me to leave you with Catherine? She has no ballet class today, so she’s going to just doing her art project. I’ll take Alden with me. How about that?” Nana asked her husband as she looked at her reflection on the mirror, checking on her jeans and loose pink shirt, her brown wavy hair fell flawlessly on her shoulder.

“It’s okay” Kris replied, eyes glued to his iPad with Alden on his lap. He’s been busy with work the past week since there’s a building he worked on which finally being sold. He took care of the paper and also the keys for the building, being hectic just to prepare it.  

“Eyes on the kid, Baby. I’ll go first, okay?” Nana kissed the top of his head and took Alden from his lap. “Kiss Daddy first, Alden” she said, making Kris looked at Nana and Alden. He stood up to peck her lips softly while waiting for Alden’s wet lips to kiss him.

“Take care” he said, waving to the two of them.

He knew he’s being too busy lately but he promised himself that after this hectic week, he’ll take his family for a short holiday to Japan, and after that he could start to have more attention to his child and of course, Nana.

It’s almost thirty minutes already since Nana left and the sudden sound of someone’s footsteps in front of his door made him looked at the little figure peeking from the space between the door and the wall.

“Dad?”

“Yes, Catherine?”

“Are you busy?” she asked as she stepped inside the room and swinging her body left and right in front of her busy father.  “Why?” Kris responded as he kept looking at his iPad.

“Can you help me to take the cookies? I want to eat cookies with milk”

Kris finally looked away from the iPad and despite the work he had to done, his little princess need some attention and he promised to take care of her so he might as well do his job as a father. Kris stood up and took his iPad with him. “Let’s go to the kitchen”

Once he took the cookies and placed it on the plate along with a glass of fresh milk, Kris left Catherine to go to his study room. He needed to check on several files that have to be handed on the opening day of the building. Only the sound of his printer being heard along with his typing sound, when Catherine appeared again on his door.

“Yes, Baby?” Kris asked without looking to the little girl.

“What are you doing?” she asked him, sitting on the couch and placed the cushion to her lap.

“Working”

“Can I see you working?”

“Don’t you have your art project to be finished? Mommy said you have homework” Kris raised his eyebrows as he glanced at Catherine. The little girl nodded. “I’ve done it before I asked for the cookies”

“Just sit there then” Kris replied.

He’s not on his right mind currently. He’s being all busy with his work and really, Catherine’s presence didn’t help him to get his work done. But since the little girl would only stay on the couch, he didn’t mind. Catherine looked around and landed her stare on the globe next to Kris.

“Daddy”

“Hmm”

“Why the world is round?” she asked him, making Kris looked away from his laptop for the nth time ever since she appeared in front of him. “Why it didn’t appear in a form of square? Or maybe, a cute heart shape?”

“There’s a story behind it. You’ll know later on” Kris replied.

“Can I know it now?” she asked him again.

“No, Cathy. I’ll tell you later”

“Ok, then why you dislike fish?”

“My mother, which is your grandma Vivian, loved to eat fish when I’m still inside her that’s why I hate fish”

“Because you’ve been eating it before you’re born?”

Kris nodded mindlessly. “Yes, maybe it’s because of it”

“But I like fish” she muttered.

“It’s good for you, Sweetheart” Kris said, checking on the paper he’s been printing. He put all the printed paper and combined it into one folder.

“Daddy, how baby appeared to this world?”

This time, Kris really gave a glare to Catherine. “Are you sure you’re curious about it and not just wanting to be an annoying little girl to Daddy?”

“I’m curious” she answered with an innocent look.

Kris sighed. “I’ll tell you later on”

“So you have two things to be explained alter on to me” she mumbled, played with her fingers at the top of the cushion.

Kris sighed. Sometimes Cathy could be so sweet yet annoying, but he knew she’s on the age of asking everything she could. “Yes, Catherine. I’ll explain later. Now could you just watch your favorite show? What is the name? Gravity Time?”

“It’s Gravity Falls. But my favorite show is Adventure Time” she corrected him.

“Yeah, that show. Go watch it”

“TV is not necessarily good for me” she replied, shrugging.

“Why?”

“I can be stupid if I watch too much TV show”

“That’s stupid” Kris muttered. Where the hell his daughter learned that kind of things?

“Daddy, how to be smart?”

“Go study”

“But studying is hard” she replied, giving him a meekly look.

“That’s why there are smart and stupid people. If it’s easy then there’s no difference between those two” Kris said, ready to stand up to take his new printed files.

“Am I smart or stupid?” she asked in front of his desk.

“Smart” Kris replied nonchalantly. “Don’t stay near the desk, Cathy. I have a lot of files there”

“I’m not standing near the desk. I’m standing right in front of the desk” she talked back to him. “Eww…” she looked at her own fingers, finding out that the ink from his desk colored her fingers and she didn’t like it. She looked at Kris helplessly.

“Cathy, please” Kris told her, pointing his fore finger to her. “Take the tissue or something to clean it up”. She took a step back but then Kris heard a voice of paper being grabbed. “Hands away from my stuff, Darling” he reminded her.

“It’s just a paper” she shrugged, cleaned up her wet fingers with the paper.  

“What paper?” Kris asked, turned his back to her. He noticed a paper that he put next to the ink was missing. He had a bad feeling about it but then…what he thought seemed to be true. “Handed me the paper” Kris ordered and Cathy gave her father the paper. It’s not white in color anymore; it looked so messy with blank ink surrounded it. Kris took it and then…Kris shook his head and softly wiped his tired face.

The paper that’s already signed for the opening day was now ruined. Catherine accidentally took it and cleaned her hand using it, now the paper is not more worthy than trash. The president of the company he’s working it will be on business trip to US for a month and it would be hard to ask for his signature again. And his own daughter just destroyed it.

Kris took a deep breath and looked at Catherine with an angry look. “What did I say about not touching my stuff, Cathy? Is this some kind of joke for you?” he took another breath.

“I’m sorry, Daddy…” she muttered her apology.

“Catherine Alexandra Wu. Go to your room. You’re grounded!” Kris yelled at her, making her startled, but indeed, she felt guilty also so she could only looked down to the ground.

“Go now. You’re not allowed to leave your room and stay away from the study room!”

And that’s how Kris put his anger towards his daughter, making him felt a little guilty to yell on her but he’s also on trouble with the signed paper. Kris took another breath before he called his colleague informing about the accident regarding the paper, not noticing that Catherine cried badly once she stepped into her room.

 

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“Cathy, could you please help Mommy to bring the salad to the table?” Nana asked Catherine who’s just walked in front of her. The girl took the salad bowl and placed in on the table.

Alden was playing with his toys on the living room, kept calling Cathy’s name to join him. She was about to go for Alden when her father stepped in and suddenly took Alden to the air, playing the airplane with him. Both laughed together once they’re landed on the couch and Kris playfully tickled the toddler’s belly. Catherine only looked from the dinner table, didn’t make any move. When Nana announced that the dinner is ready, she didn’t miss how gloomy Catherine’s face.

Usually the little girl chirped for her dessert, but tonight she rather looked calm and not speaking too much. Nana sensed that something was not right but when she brought Catherine for sleep, the girl just sleep peacefully and left Nana clueless to her condition. She thought that maybe Catherine was just having her bad day so she ignored it. Nana asked Kris though, but he didn’t recall if there’re some problems with their daughter.  

“She maybe just not feeling like usual, Honey” Kris said when both of them settled for sleep.

“She kept silence. It’s not so Catherine” Nana reasoned, turned her body to the side to face her husband. “Is it possible that she’s sick?”

“She’s fine” Kris closed his eyes. His body felt so tired after he’s doing the opening event earlier.

“Oh, right. Anyway, how’s the event? Is it okay when you’re not yet having the signed paper?” Nana asked, suddenly remembered. Three days ago Kris had a problem with his signed paper that’s ruined by Catherine.

“I explained and asked for their permission to sign it again. It’s done and sent through airmail. It should be arrived tomorrow” Kris replied. He felt relieved that there’s no problem with the paper.

“It’s good then…” Nana muttered. But still, she couldn’t sleep before knowing what’s happening to Catherine. She opened the blanket and walked out to Catherine’s room, leaving Kris sleeping.

Nana opened the door to Catherine’s room, hoping she’s alright. But what she looked made her feeling bad. Catherine’s not sleeping; she turned her body to the side and Nana could hear she’s sobbing.

Turning the light on, Nana walked inside and quickly moved closer to Catherine.

“Cathy, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Nana tried to look into Catherine’s eyes, but the little girl quickly hid her face with her tiny palms. “Cathy… please talks to Mommy. What’s wrong?” she softly cupped Catherine’s face. Her body was not in fever and she looked fine, so what could possibly go wrong?

“Catherine… please. I need to know what’s happening to you… Cathy…” she called her name again. This time, Catherine allowed her mother to look at her face. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying like this?”

Sniffing, Catherine wiped away her tears and scarily looked at Nana. “Do you hate me, Mommy?”

Nana blinked her eyes several times as she heard what Cathy said. The last time she heard her telling these words was when Nana forgot to pick her up and made Catherine mad at her. “No, Cathy. No, of course not. What made you think like that, hmm?” she softly caressed Catherine’s face.

“Daddy hates me” she whispered, as she looked to the ground again.

“Daddy?” Nana repeated. Catherine is daddy’s little girl and it’s impossible for her to think that Kris hates her, but Nana couldn’t understand why she thought that Kris hates her. “Could you please explain to me?”

“I was wrong Mommy and I said sorry to dad… But dad told me to go to my room and stay away from his study room…” Catherine said, she started to cry again. “Daddy hates me and only wants Alden. He never looked at me again… I’m a bad child, even daddy dislikes me…” and that made her broke into tears again.

Nana hugged Catherine and softly patted her back. “Honey, there must have been some misunderstanding here… Come here, talk to me…”

Nana made Catherine lay on her bed again, wiping her tears and telling her to stop crying. The girl faced her mother with her red nose and teary eyes, she stopped crying as Nana kept wiping her tears and rubbed her hand softly.

“Ok, what is this all about? Why do you think daddy hates you?”

“Be-because I caused a tr-trouble. I ac-accidentally ru-ruined his paper and he go-got mad at me, telling me that I…that I wa-was grounded and should stay away fr-from his st-study room” Catherine explained with her stuttered words.

“And why do you think daddy only wants Alden?”

Catherine was sobbing again before she answered Nana’s question. “He on-only played with Alden… Daddy didn’t joke around wi-with me…”

“Catherine…” Nana sighed as she tucked her hair to the back of her ear. “It wasn’t like that, Honey. Daddy didn’t hate you. He loves you a lot and about what he said earlier, it’s just because he’s angry. He’s having a problem, that’s why he mad at you. But it was only that time, he never said he hates you, Baby. Do you get it?”

“I’m sad because dad yelled at me and it seemed like he really hates me, Mommy…” she said again, touching Nana’s hand.

“He’s not and I can assure you that… But for now, since it’s already late, please just sleep okay? We’ll talk about this tomorrow… Okay?”

Hearing Nana’s soothing voice, Catherine softly nodded. Nana waited until Catherine really fell asleep before she left her room. It happened again, when her daughter thinking that either she or Kris hates her. Catherine is really a sensitive little girl and knowing this, Nana thought that she should talk about it to Kris. She’s dead worried when Catherine stopped talking to her due to her mistakes, she would never want it to happen again.

Kris clearly has to talk with Catherine.

 

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“What? She thought I hate her?” Kris frowned as he heard what Nana said regarding the reason of Catherine’s gloomy face.

“She thought you’re so mad at her that you grounded her which leverage to you hate her. Plus she’s feeling all jealous when she saw you playing with Alden and not asked her to join the two of you” Nana explained, caressing Kris’ side.

“What have I done?” he muttered to himself.

“Talk with her, Kris. It’d be better for her to listen directly from you…”

 

And here was Kris, sitting on the mini couch next to Catherine’s bed. The little girl was still sleeping when he slipped into her room. Listening to what Nana said about their little girl, he waited to talk to Catherine. Whatever she has in her mind about him hating her must have been solved as soon as possible.

After waiting for half hour, Kris noticed that the little girl had just awakened. He smiled as he looked at the way she’s waking up. Still closing her eyes, the girl raised her head and then blinked her eyes several times before she adjusted to the sun light that’s coming inside her room. She yawned but then frozen as she saw her father watching her in amused.

“Good morning. Does my princess sleeping well?” Kris asked as he kneeled next to her bed, softly patted the top of her head.

Catherine looked a bit timid upon his touch, but she still mumbled a soft “Good morning” before looking down to her bed.

“Why you keep looking sad the past few days?” Kris pecked her cheek, making the girl looked at him. She always adores Kris, which made her feeling a little awkward to be in a silent mode with her father. “Heard that I was the reason why you’re looking sad?” he raised one of his eyebrows playfully.

“Daddy hates me” she suddenly said, making his heart a little hurt. If there’s anything he would do, that would be to love her and not even once thinking to hate his own offspring. “Because I’m a bad kid and you dislike me, so you wanted me to stay away”

“Catherine, Baby. I’m sorry for yelling at you and making you feeling like I hate you. But you should know I would never hate you. I love you, with all of my heart and soul and I would never stop to make you feeling happy… “Kris said, cupping her tiny face with chubby cheek. The girl looked at him, thinking.

“If I scold you because you’re doing wrong things, then it’s for your own good. A parent should teach her child what is good and what is wrong. And I don’t want you to think that the thing you did earlier was right, so I scold you. But I didn’t do it because I hate you…”

“But why you keep playing with Alden only?” Catherine shyly asked him.

Kris smiled to her again. “I’m not. Of course I wanted to play with you too; it’s just maybe the past days I felt like playing with Alden. Ever since you’re a baby, I always play with you, right? And how long has that been? I need to give the equal attention to both of you, so I asked him to play…I love both of you equally, I do not favor one of you. I love you, I love Alden”

Catherine bit her lower lip, digesting what her father just said. But before she did anything, Kris took her to his lap as he placed himself on the bed, putting Catherine’s little body across him as they looked at each other. Oh how her cute little face always successfully made his day whenever he’s tired once he got back home after a crazy day in the office. Kris understood now, why people said that having a child is just like having a heeling machine. Kids made him realized that there’s more to life and that those precious kids were actually the reason why he wanted to work.

“I never hate you, Catherine. I love you, really” Kris said, smiling at his only daughter. “Do you forgive me for making you thinking that I hate you?”

Catherine looked at her father again. Indeed, it’s the same person she always adores and cares. Of course she didn’t want to hate him. Catherine slowly nodded her head, making Kris smiled and rubbed his hand towards her cheek.

“Do you forgive me for ruining your paper?” she asked him, feeling scared a bit.

“Yes, I forgive you. No more gloomy face okay?” he pinched the bridge of her nose, making her playfully slapped his shoulder. “Smile” he said, taking both side of her cheeks to different direction, making her giggling. “So we’re good now?”

Catherine nodded and grinned happily. “We’re good!” she replied with her cute style as usual. The sad and sulky Catherine already gone, here comes the happy little girl which made everyone fell in love. He promised himself, this kind of thing would never happen again. He loves her, there’s no way he hates his baby.

Kris playfully tickled her as he placed kisses on her face, making Catherine screaming while trying to be freed from him. When Kris placed a hug around her body and pulled away once it’s done, he smiled to her.  

“Daddy”

“Hmm?”

“Can I get the answer of my question then now?” she asked him.

“What question?”   

“How baby come to this world?”

 

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Anyone happy to see Catherine and Alden again? Hehe

Got the inspiration this morning during my shower time. Oh my. Kyawwww… Catherine, Auntie miss you!

Anyway, happy new year people!!