It was not on Irene’s agenda to be out of breath and slightly sweating at some time past nine at night, in the hallways of her apartment. With Lily’s rainbow onesie pyjamas in hand, the tinkling laughter bouncing off the walls poke at her sides, beckoning her to catch the small toddler who’s refusing to get dressed for bed.

She should have known, really, how difficult Lily could be when she has a sudden burst of energy and didn’t want to go to bed. Just as she got her underwear on after bath time she had taken off with little rockets for feet. Irene was left in the dust, barely grabbing her set aside pyjamas before taking off after her.

Now stuck in a cat and mouse game, a game she’s embarrassed to say she’s losing, Irene has no idea where her little one’s run off to. She’s honestly so small, she could fit into a shoebox if she wanted to. Okay, maybe she’s exaggerating just a little bit.

“Lillian Jaidyn Bae, if you do not come here right this instance, I will,” Irene hates it when she decides to discipline Lily because she’s terrible at coming up with threats. It would be a miracle if the toddler didn’t catch on that any of the promised punishments she comes up with are just that. Her brain almost comes to a complete stop, malfunction if you will, trying to come up with anything that will lure her daughter out. “I will not buy you your treats!”

When Lily’s giggle and the pitter patter of her running echoes back at her, she knows her threat had fallen on deaf ears. Even if Irene didn’t buy her treats, which were biscuits at most because lollies and chocolates lead to a sugar rush, she knew Lily had her own cookie jar by the name of Seulgi. As much as she wants to trust her daughter in keeping her agreement of not eating any of their neighbour’s snacks, Irene has found enough crumbs on her clothes and hair to know that nothing was concrete.

But speaking of the devil, if there’s one thing Lily treasures more than her sugar snacks, its: “If you do not come here on the count of three, I will cancel your playdate with Seulgi tomorrow.” She pauses to allow Lily to understand her new angle. “One,” before she could reach two, rushed steps come bounding her way.

“But mummy!”

Bushy hair and still underdressed, Irene almost had to snap herself back to listen to what her daughter was saying, and not weighing the chances of the girl catching a cold.

“But mummy, what?” She sticks with her stern voice.

“You signed the paper!”

Irene sighs at the mention of the paper. Honestly, Seulgi is too creative, and bored, for her own good. She had come home to pick Lily up as usual to a messy apartment. While she was busy putting her groceries away, Seulgi had left to help Lily pack her bag up, and Irene thought nothing of it. Until Lily came back home with an envelope taped to her shirt.

Addressed to her and sealed, Irene had a hundred and one questions running through her mind as to what her neighbour was up to this time. Like a sent home letter from a school, what Irene had opened up was a permission slip for an excursion. Formally written, it had asked for her permission, as the parent of one Lillian Jaidyn Bae, to take the child to their local river for an outdoor excursion.

She had, of course, confronted Seulgi about it at once. It was one thing to look after a four-year-old in the confines of her apartment, but a totally different one to have her near water when she had yet to teach Lily how to swim.

Of course, as Seulgi always is, she was ready with a list of requirements she will meet and safety gear she will get once Irene were to sign the form. It didn’t help that Lily follows Irene like a silent shadow sometimes, because once she heard river and nature, she was louder than a blaring siren over how much she wanted to go.

So, after an hour’s discussion (and promises on Seulgi’s behalf), and much pleading from both Seulgi and Lily, Irene had reluctantly signed the form.

The form that was being thrown back at her face right now by her four-year-old daughter, nonetheless.

“And I can un-sign it if I want.” Physically she can’t, but technicalities.

“But mummy!”

With the signs of an incoming tantrum and flood of tears, Irene had to think quick on her feet unless she wanted no one on her floor, and the apartment directly below and above hers, from getting any sleep tonight.

“If you jump in your jammies and get ready for bed, I will allow for the excursion again.”

A big pout like no other, Lily sniffles the tears back that were oh so ready to tug regret into Irene’s heart, and quietly walks up to her mother who had knelt with the pyjamas at the ready. Holding onto Irene’s shoulders for balance, she obediently lets her shimmy the onesie on.

No threats have ever worked before, and leave it to revoking playing rights with the other big child (at heart) of their floor to have Lily yielding. But witnessing her usually big grins and laughter daughter falling into silence and tears, Irene is second guessing ever using this method ever again. With a sigh of remorse, Irene cradles her silent baby in her arms, swaying as she lets Lily nestle into her neck for comfort, hoping this shows that she isn’t angry with her or anything of the sort.

“Are you angry with mummy?”

She gets a headshake.

“Are you sad at what mummy said?”

A slight pause, but she gets another headshake.

“Then why are you so upset, baby?”

Something Irene wants to teach Lily, and especially have with her, is that communication is key. Be it with an adult or a child, feelings must be shared for both parties to fully understand each other.

“I’m not upset,” Lily mumbles.

“Okay, if you say so.” She pulls the tiny body away from her, inspecting the downcast expression on her daughter. Moving the strands of hair away from her eyes, Irene lets her fingertips tap at chubby cheeks. “I’m sorry, baby. Mummy won’t take away your playtime with Seulgi ever again, unless necessary, okay?” When she gets a nod of understanding from Lily, she smiles. “So, can I please get a big smile from my number one girl.” It’s a smile in its own rights, but not a big Lily smile at all. “Oh, I know you can do better than that!”

Starting a tickle fight with her daughter, Irene only has herself to blame when they both get into bed much later than they should have.

❀❀

“Are you sure it works?”

“Yes, I am sure.”

“And they said it’s the best one they have? The most recommended?”

“Yes, they sure did.”

“You have everything you need?"

“Ye-”

“A med-kit?”

“Y-”

“Sunscreen?”

“Iren-”

“Her hat?”

“Ire-”

“Do you have enough food and water?”

“Ir-”

“A flare just in case? Because who knows what happens out in the wilderness.”

“We’re not going into the jungle.”

“Oh. Oh! Do you have my number on speed dial?”

“Well, no. But I ca-”

“No, wait! You should have emergency services on speed dial.”

Seulgi has to grab Irene’s shoulders to get her out of her panic mother mode. Her hands are shaking a tad, eyes moving around in a frenzy like they’re in search of more things Seulgi should pack and have at the ready, and she honestly looks downright crazy.

“Irene, we will be fine.” She tries to get across. Again. But when Irene goes to start her next bout of crazy things, Seulgi cuts in faster. “I have everything that we’ll need. Except a flare, because why would we need a flare in waters that come up to my knees. And Lily will be fine, I’ve gotten her a life vest. Also, mind you, the river is calm and a minutes’ walk from a park and family barbeque area. We’ll be fine.”

Stoic and gaping for more words, Seulgi smiles at how lost Irene looks. Mothers and their first times with their first child. She has to let her go through the motion of being an overprotective parent.

“Call me on your break? To check in.”

Irene nods, very well making sure she’ll take advantage of that offer. When she comes up with a new item to bring up, a survival whistle to be specific, Lily is the one to cut her off this time.

“I’m ready!”

Exiting Seulgi’s bedroom, Irene is left speechless when Lily arrives in a white cotton swashbuckler shirt, with a bright red buccaneer coat over it. She could have easily guessed what Lily was dressed up as, even without the help of the obvious black eyepatch over her left eye, and a sword (Irene is certain it’s made out of cardboard again, but this time with foil plastered over it) in her right hand.

“Ahoy, Captain Bae!”

Seulgi stands at attention, Lily giggles, and Irene rolls her eyes.

❀❀

Irene is woken up by a whiney Lily that climbs into her bed, making herself comfortable by crawling under her blankets and cuddling up into her side.

“Morning, baby.”

“Morning, mummy.” At the sound of a hoarse voice, Irene wakes up immediately. Eyes popping open through the sting of the morning sun, she lifts up the blanket to reveal a very red cheeked Lily. Face screwed up in discomfort, Lily nuzzles her face into Irene’s side to gain any sort of relief. “I don’t feel too good, mummy.”

Palm gently pushing away at her messy bed hair, Irene’s lips dip down into a deep frown when she feels how warm Lily’s forehead is. If anything, Lily was a ball of radiating heat right now. She must have gotten sick during the night. Maybe a cold? It has been getting a little chilly lately.

Then it dawns of her.

The river. The darn river.

Wait until Seulgi gets woken up by Irene’s foot up her arse. She said she had everything under control!

“Wait just a second, baby. Mummy’s gotta go make a quick call.”

Not wanting to leave Lily’s side for too long, especially when tiny hands reaching out for her yank at her heartstrings, Irene runs off with her phone.

“‘Lo?” A groggy voice picks up.

“Wendy? Sorry for waking you up so early. Lily’s just woken up with a temperature. I’m sorry to throw this on you, but can yo-”

“No worries, mama. Your job today is to be by Lil’s side. I’ll take your shift.”

“But what if Robert-”

“Screw Robert. I’ll have him pissing in his pants if he tries to powertrip on me.”

A big sigh of relief leaves her. Wendy always has her back. “Thanks Wendy, I owe you one.”

“Don’t mention it. Get the little one up and running again, I’ll take that as a repayment.”

With her job responsibilities handled, Irene sprints back to her bedroom to see that Lily has rolled herself into a bundle onto her side of the bed. Determined to make her feel as comfortable as possible, she barricades her with pillows and cushions, running off to her room to grab Mitsy, Lily’s favourite teddy - a white bunny - to optimise her comfort.

Mind in a frenzy of medication and food that’s best for a sick child, another thing comes barrelling through her head.

Seulgi.

Angry stomps akin to that of a mother bear in offensive mode, Irene has her fist banging down on Seulgi’s door, ready to maul the woman. No one answers though, so she slams her fists down again to wake the hibernating woman up.

Sluggish feet stumble their way to the door, and Irene’s words die on her tongue when she’s greeted with glazed over eyes that are bloodshot, and tissues hanging from nostrils.

“Mornin’, ‘rene.” She sounds so congested, it makes even Irene feel her discomfort.

“You got my baby sick.”

Seulgi looks on the verge of tears, but she can’t be certain if it’s from her deathly tone, or because she had already looked the part when she had opened the door. Seulgi whimpers out her apologies, after she tries to sniff through a blocked nose caused by the sickness and also the fact that she’s plugged them up with rolled up tissues. But that problem’s gone, because she lets out a mighty sneeze that has them shooting out from her nose.

Great. She has two babies to look after today.

a/n: writin and updatin on this fine, sleepless night. hope y'all enjoy :