Incomplete love

Raindrop

How can a five-year-old be so stubborn? And loud!?  'Apppaaaa!' calm down Jin, she is just testing you again today. There she is running on the steps again, how many times-  'I don't want porridge!' no! don't fall for her charms. However cute she looks. I know what will work. 
'Only porridge comes with a story, do you still not want it?' her tiny pink lips formed a thin line. Quite the businesswoman she is. Considering all her options with cost-benefit analysis.  'Pa story?' of course, it has to be his story. Nobody wants Appa's story. She climbed the stool and onto the chair within a blink. Patting the chair next to hers. Aish! The little drama she directs every single day, so religiously. I scooped a spoonful of the brown stuff. Honestly, a few years back, even I wouldn't have this. One more spoon, ask about homework. One more, may her friends? One more, uhh, dance class? No, art class. Shit. Her tiny fingers wrapped around my wrist. Lips disappeared in her cheeks. Busted. She shook her head, chewing on her meal. There was still half a bowl left to go. 'Story' she placed her cards on the table for the next bite. Maybe i use her as an excuse to marinate in our memories. But they have a permanent residence in my thoughts. So I began reminiscing the tale of the wrath the staff had to suffer. For making my concept as the official driver during Bon Voyage in New Zealand. While I was on a diet. Anyone and everyone in my path were scolded and berated for there was nothing for me to eat and I run low on sugar. 

'Did Pa scold you?' she squirmed away from the bowl. Shaking her head violently to refuse another bite. Messing up the straight hair her grandmother had just brushed. She is Taehyung's daughter after all. She was doing this to signal that she is full. But i am her father as well.

'You bet he did. I was hoarding jellies, full of sugar. And one must never eat so much sugar, right? We get..'

'Tummy boo' her hand rubbed on her own belly with a pout. 

'That's right! And while driving, I was so hungry that i didn't even share them with Kookie.' Last spoon that's it. Success! 

'Thefn whfy dudf you forgfet?' her bread cheeks were full of rice. In all her seriousness, she couldn't look adorable with the questioning wagging eyebrows at me. What does she mean?

'Forget what?' she rolled her eyes at me. Another bad habit. Note. Where is she picking these up from. 

'DYE-TT! Why did you forget you were on a dye-tt?!' the things she latches on to. I don't need an inner voice for moral policing. 

'Appa tends to get very hangry.' i chuckled. 'So much so that I can fight someone for food. Pa knew that, and he took over driving for me. He even stashed away the jellies and requested all the staff to stay out of my way.' I still got it. I can still make a five-year-old laugh at my jokes. Her voice rang in the dining room. 

Just when I had stood up to head to the kitchen, she jumped out of her seat and ran. 

'Appa! I made you something.' You can't run from me this time! Which child hates drinking water! 

'MISO! drink your water first.' I can catch up to her. A little quicker, Jin! Shit! hold the bottle properly. Fuck, she will fall! The moment her knee got caught in her brown dress, she stumbled but caught herself. Unfazed continued running up the steps. 

'STOP RUNNING ON THE STAIRS!' her hair was wild and covered half her face to make any sense of the direction she was running in. My poor heart was in my throat. I heard my mother yelling from somewhere downstairs. 

'Will you two stop yelling? Is this a Father-daughter screaming club?!' i caught a glimpse of her exasperated expression at the foot of the stairs. Her hands were thrown in the air she rolled her eyes at my antics. At least I know where Miso learned the eye roll from. 'A passerby will think monkeys reside in this house! Why are you two running?!' Both of us ignored her. I slowed down watching Miso slow down on the landing as well. She swept into her room. Which never ceases to amaze me. She has the prettiest room in the entire house. Vines run across two walls in various shades of green and black on the lilac background of the entire room. It is a painting of a reflection, with the ceiling painted with brilliant blues and orange scenery of dusk. Decorated in the same exact way Taehyung had personally done to her old room. Quite ominous for a child, but she loved it. Alongside one of the painted walls sits her bed. On another bare one is the window, farthest from her bed. She is afraid of someone coming through. On the other bare wall is a long table strewn with school supplies and half-done homework. Below is a storage full of books and stuffed toys. These take turns of the privilege of sharing the bed with her, today was Mr. Doe, the giraffe. Besides the table in a corner is a box full of her paintings and supplies. And a pin-up canvas in front of it. Where she sat now, waving her hand at me. Her brown eyes twinkled showing me her artwork. On the canvas was a sheet full of bold colors and confident strokes. The figures were crooked but the scenery was unmistakably stunning. Just like Tae's.