“Mom! Who told you to touch that cupcake? That was for Ms. Emily! Today’s her birthday!”
Swallowing my disappointment, I apologized,
“I’m sorry, Ethan. I didn’t know. I only tasted a bit of the frosting, it won’t stop you from giving it to Ms. Emily…”
But Ethan shrieked in disgust,
“I don’t want it anymore! You already ate it, and you even posted it on Facebook! So gross!”
“I don’t want to give Ms. Emily such a dirty cupcake!”
At the time, I was angry and hurt. When he came home from school, I couldn’t help but scold him a little, telling him it was rude to speak to his mom like that—that it made me sad.
He pouted in silence, and I thought the matter had passed.
But he had held onto it, brooding, even branding me as shameless and greedy.
The tense atmosphere was interrupted by Jason’s phone ringing. It was a video call from Emily.
Just a moment ago Jason’s face had been full of anger, but now he instantly softened as he answered warmly,
“Hi, Ms. Emily?”
On the screen, Emily’s syrupy voice chimed in,