“What happened to Maya?”
“She has a sudden craving for chestnut cookies early this morning. However, the cookie is a secret recipe of the chef at Imperial Garden, so no one knows how to make it here. She’s throwing a tantrum now because she can’t have it.”
Evan fell silent to ponder over the situation before striding off toward Maya’s bedroom.
Maya, whose hair was disheveled, was sitting on the bed with her face scrunched up bitterly. She looked like she had been starved for days.
Seeing Evan walking into her room, she immediately launched into another round of wailing.
“What’s the matter?”
Maya, who wanted Evan to carry him, stretched out her chubby little arms to him invitingly.
Evan scooped the little girl up and wiped the tears on her face.
“You have to stop crying.”
Maya immediately toned it down obediently. “Daddy, I really crave for chestnut cookies a lot!” she croaked.
“You’ll get to have it when we’re back to Imperial Garden, alright? No one here knows how to make the cookies.”
Without responding to him, Maya pouted her lips and fiddled with her fingers glumly.
Evan tried to divert her attention from the cookies by asking her to get dressed.
She picked up a pretty coat and stared at it with her eyes widened with inspiration. Then, she showed it to Evan.
“Daddy, don’t you think the color of this coat look a lot like the color of chestnut cookies?”
Evan did not answer her.
Maya, who failed to elicit a response from Daddy, went on to get dressed.
Then, she got out of bed and put on a pair of slippers before walking out of her room. Just then, she saw Juan and Kyle having a good time playing Lego.
Maya scurried over to them. “What are you guys playing?”
“Our figurines are battling with each other.”
“Will the winner be rewarded with chestnut cookies?”
Both Juan and Kyle were rendered speechless.
The boys exchanged a glance before walking back to their bedroom. In their opinion, staying as far away from Maya as possible when she was obsessed with chestnut cookies was the best policy.
Maya turned around and spotted Nina making her way over to her, eating a banana. Immediately, Maya ran up to her and asked, “How does the banana taste like?”
“Of course it tastes like how bananas usually taste,” Nina answered her matter-of-factly.
“Can you do something to make it taste like chestnut cookies?”
Nina was at a loss for words. You certainly have some wild imagination!
Seems like Maya’s craving for chestnut cookies is in urgent need of fixing.
Just then, Evan walked over to Maya and caress her head. “How about I bring you out and buy some for you?”
Maya looked up at him and nodded enthusiastically.
Evan pointed at Nicole’s bedroom. “Go and ask Mommy whether she wants to come along with us.”
Moving her chubby legs, Maya sprinted to Nicole’s bedroom and knocked on the door.
Nicole answered the door and stared blankly at the little girl. “Yes?”
“Mommy, we’re heading outside to get some chestnut cookies. Would you like to come along with us?”
Nicole caught a glimpse of Evan who was standing nearby. Just as she was about to turn Maya down, Kyle, Juan and Nina suddenly darted over to her.
“Mommy, we’re going out with them too.”
“Mommy, why don’t you come with us too?”
“Mommy, please come with us!”
Judging from how the kids were badgering her, Nicole knew they would continue to pester her if she said no.
However, Evan was going to be there too…
She was worried that her anger might get the better of her and she might lash it out at Evan in front of the kids. She did not want such a thing to happen as it would adversely affect the kids emotionally.
“Mommy, just look at how obsessed Maya is with chestnut cookies! Please do come with us!”
“Exactly. Isn’t Maya your favorite?”
Seeing how hard the kids were trying to convince her and the tears in Maya’s eyes, Nicole decided to sacrifice herself for the sake of her kids.
Nicole seldom visited the shopping malls in K Nation. The only thing she knew about them was they usually nestled in the center of several busy streets which came with busy traffic and thick crowds.
Strolling along the streets, she held Nina with one hand and Maya with another to make sure they were safe.
Meanwhile, the two little girls were busy marveling at their surroundings as everything looked new and interesting to them.
“Mommy, there are so many restaurants and eateries here.”
“Mommy, do you think they sell the same cosmetic products available in our country too?”
Staring at the two girls, Nicole understood they were dropping hints about the things they wanted to have.
“Just tell me what you want and I will buy them for you.”
Maya extended one chubby arm and pointed at a shop nearby.
“Mommy, why don’t we go and check out that dessert store?”
