21 Protect Their Laughter

The sweet voice of someone calling her 'mommy' woke Cheng Jia up from her sleep. As she fluttered her eyes open, she saw the bright smile her son is giving her. Then, she closed her eyes again.

This made the little one disappointed, so he shook his mother to wake her up completely.

"Mommy, wake up. Mommy!" he nudged her.

Cheng Jia grumbled then turned her body sideways, facing her back from Shuyang. She was just playing with him however, the son had gotten more impatient so he shook his mother's body harder.

When Cheng Jia can't hold her laughter anymore, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around her son's body, tossing him unto the bed beside her. Her slender hands crawled towards the little one's sides, then she tickled him which made him giggle as the mother went along with his mirth.

For Cheng Jia, mornings like this one is enough to make her day.

Shuyang tossed and turns as his mother tickled him and in between his laughter were his pleas for his mother to stop tickling him. "Mommy, stop. Stop..." he said as he laughed.

Outside the room, Jian smiled at the joyful sound that resounded inside the house. Sitting on the couch, she stretched her legs as she held a cup of coffee and brought it close to her nose, smelling its rich aroma with her eyes closed.

'This is life,' she thought.

When she opened her eyes, she took a sip from the cup. As if satisfied, she smiled and looked sideways at the bright sunny day outside the window.

'Mother, I miss you in days like this,' she mused as she stared outside with tears of longingness forming in her eyes while hearing Cheng Jia and Shuyang's happy voices inside the room. 'Please don't let their laughter fade,' she added inwardly as if sounding like a prayer while remembering her face.

Upon reminiscing her mother's memories in her mind, her grip on the cup tightened. She looked down straight at her coffee as her thumb caressed its sides. Then she muttered in a very low voice, "Mommy, must you leave us?" she swallowed trying to control her emotions.

She knew that no one will answer her except the silence that embraced her. It was not as if this was the first time she talked to her like she is here, but just remembering the smile on her face makes her feel at ease. For her, her mother is as bright as the sun and the most beautiful person aside from Jiajia of course.

In the midst of her thoughts, he heard Cheng Jia saying, "Come now, baby."

Hearing Cheng Jia's door clicked open, Jian immediately put on a smile on her face and looked at the pair of mother and son.

"Good morning, big sister."

"Good morning, auntie."

Jian put down the cup from her hands on the table, "You're finally up?" she asked Cheng Jia who walked hand in hand with her son towards the couch.

The mother slumped on it, followed by the son, mimicking how carelessly her mother sat down.

"Yeah! This little guy here will keep on bothering me for sure if I stayed a little longer on the bed," she answered leaning back and resting her arm on the backrest of the couch while glancing down at her son lovingly.

Shuyang felt as if he was wronged though. He looked at his mother pouting, "It's because you said you will take me to the amusement park today. Mommy, did you forget what you promised me?"

Cheng Jia momentarily stared dumbfoundedly at him as she tried to process what Shuyang said and snapped her fingers once when she remembered her words to him.

Suddenly, the little one's face looked complicated as he spoke disappointedly, "You just remembered. You totally forgot about it, Mommy."

She looked at him with apologetic eyes reaching her hand towards the little one's head. She was busy for days to remember her promise to her son and she regretted it.

"Mommy admits it, baby. I just remembered it now. I'm sorry," she raised her hand as if pledging with her life on the line, "Mommy promised that this won't happen ever again in the future."

Shuyang's lips formed into a thin line as he looked at his mother with that puppy eyes of his, not uttering a single word. His eyes started to moist because of tears, but not a sob came out.

Cheng Jia whose eyes softened, even more than it was a moment ago, downed her pledging hands slowly and sighed. Then she extended her arms to scoop her son unto her lap.

"Shuyang, baby, you should not use this trick on me again," she muttered in a low voice while looking at her son's eyes.

"Mommy, you promised you'll buy me ice cream today," he answered with his solemn eyes. It is actually not the fun in the amusement park but it is the ice cream he most wanted. He rarely gets the chance to eat dairy products that is why he always looked forward to the days he could eat one, even in just a minimal amount.

Sighing in resignation, Cheng Jia finally said, "Fine. Let us go out but we cannot go to the amusement park today. We will go there some other time."

With hopeful eyes, Shuyang asked, "Where are we going then?"

Cheng Jia leaned back touching her chin with her slender fingers trying to think of a place where they can hang out. She looked at her son and said, "Should we just go to the mall, then? There is no place I can think of at the moment and there is one near here."

Shuyang tilted his head to the side, "Mommy if we are going to the mall just for ice cream, isn't it better to buy one from a supermarket?"

"You're right, baby. Shall we go to the supermarket then?"

The little one looked at his mother dumbfoundedly since she seems to have changed her mind quickly, "You are doing this on purpose, mommy. Just tell me honestly if you don't want to go out with me," he sulked pouting his lips with his chubby cheeks puffing.

She had the urge to squish her son's cute face but stopped herself, and with arms resting on the couch's armrest, Jia tapped her fingers lightly, "Right! I don't want to go," she said fighting herself not to laugh seeing Shuyang's sulking face.

'Gosh! My son's going to be the death of me. How can he be so cute like this? I really have good genes!' she thought to herself proudly.

Cheng Shuyang pouted his lips, "Mommy, you don't love me anymore. What happens to 'Mommy loves baby the most' now?" he muttered pitifully with his puppy eyes.

As she cannot hold it in anymore, Jian scoffed in the side hearing and watching the mother and son pair's exchange. Cheng Jia is obviously just playing with her son but the little guy took it seriously and is acting cutesy.

In a few, Cheng Jia laughed joyfully as she held her son in an embrace, "Oh, baby, your sulking face really is the best," she said looking at him.

Shuyang's brows gathered in the middle, "Mommy, you're playing me again."

After a few, Cheng Jia squished her son's cheeks while looking at him lovingly, "How did I give birth to this beautiful creature?"

The little one attempted to beam despite her mother's palm on his cheeks. He knew without his mother saying it, she expressed her love for him and so he said, "Shuyang loves mommy too, the most," with his eyes almost disappearing.

Cheng Jia smiled and peppered her son with kisses, "My son knows me really well," she retracted, "and with that, I am going to buy that big bear you told me about, last time."

Upon her declaration, Shuyang jumped in excitement and hugged his mother and kissed her, "You are the best, mommy."

The mother laughed contentedly, "Go on now. Take a bath and change so we can go."

Not waiting for a moment to pass, Shuyang dashed to his room leaving his laughing mother and auntie. Cheng Jia was about to ask Jian if she wanted to come with them but Jian beat her to it, "I would love it but I'd like to spend my day off, resting," she said with a smile which Cheng Jia understood.

"I will bring you something delicious," she said to her big sister with a smile before going back to her room to prepare.

Jian said to herself while looking at the retreating figure of her little sister, who now is of no question, a wonderful mother.

'No matter what, I will protect both of your smile and laughter with my life.'