THE LANDLORD (BBANGSAZ)

Chapter 16

MINJI

I opened the freezer door and pulled out the yellow box of Popsicles, rifling through the packages to find the right flavor. Jia had been home from the hospital for a few days, and I learned pretty quickly which colors she preferred. She wasn't a huge fan of the grape ones and she absolutely hated the green lime ones, but everything else she got down just fine.

My gaze landed on a Popsicle that looked like it might be red, so I pulled it out of the box and held it up to the light. Through the thin packaging, I could see a faint red tint. Hallelujah. Red was Jia's favorite.

I walked into the living room where she was curled up under a thick, fuzzy blanket on the couch, still dressed in her pajamas and her hair a little tousled. I unwrapped the Popsicle and handed it to her, making sure to place a napkin in her lap.

"Be careful that it doesn't start dripping," I said, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"I know," she said softly, nodding without taking her eyes away from the TV. She absentmindedly pulled the frozen treat toward her mouth, missing on her first try and smearing red juice on her chin.

Taking the napkin from her lap, I wiped the juice away, chuckling at how unfazed she seemed. The doctors had warned me that she would need lots of rest after the surgery, but that morning, I could tell she'd turned a corner by how entranced she was with her cartoons. Her first couple of days home, she could barely keep her eyes open long enough to pay attention to them. But now, she was hooked. I could already tell I'd have to be firm about getting her back to her normal screen-time schedule once she was fully recovered.

"I'll get you another napkin," I said, kissing the top of Jia's head before walking back into the kitchen.

Turns out, there was nothing more terrifying in the world than having to take your child to the hospital. I learned that the hard way. Even after the doctors reassured me that she'd be fine and that her surgery was totally routine and manageable, I couldn't deal with how helpless I'd felt.

Sitting in that waiting room while strangers cut open my daughter with nothing to do but sit and wait and try not to freak out? I'd thought I was a calm and rational person, but based on the chaotic feelings that churned through me during that time, I was starting to question everything I thought I knew about myself. The only thing I didn't question? The fact that Jia meant everything to me. She was my whole world, and it was my job to make sure nothing bad ever happened to her. Case closed.

After grabbing a fresh napkin, I walked back into the living room and sat down next to her on the couch. I placed the napkin in her lap, smiling at the fact that her Popsicle was already halfway gone.

"Dada, can we have something other than soup for dinner tonight?" Jia asked, still staring straight ahead at the TV.

"What do you want instead?" I did a mental inventory, trying to remember what groceries we still had. I'd been doing my best to make mild and nutritious meals with what we already had on hand.

"Could we make gluten-free pizza?" She looked up at me with wide, hopeful eyes.

I smiled. Looked like someone was starting to feel better after all.

• • •

A few days later, it was clear that Jia and I needed to get out of the house. We had run out of Popsicles, and our pantry desperately needed to be restocked. And for as much as she and I loved spending time together, I could tell she was ready to look at someone else's face and listen to someone else's voice for a while. And I knew just who to call.

After a few rings, the line connected, and a voice I hadn't realized just how much I missed answered.

"Minji, hi. How's Jia doing?"