The room fell silent after the door closed. Everyone could feel the tension hanging in the air like thick fog. Lala had just run out, tears in her eyes, and no one quite knew what to say. Mom stood there, arms crossed, trying to stay strong, but the words hung heavy in the room.
Then came a quiet voice. “You were too harsh on her,” whispered Cubis, gently. He wasn’t trying to argue—just telling the truth.
Mom blinked, caught off guard. “I was just trying to teach her a lesson,” she replied, a little defensively.
“I know,” Cubis said, stepping closer. “But she was just trying to help. She didn’t mean to spill the juice or drop the bowl. She was so excited to surprise you.”
Mom’s expression softened. She remembered the moment—Lala in her tiny apron, proudly holding the tray of fruit she had cut all by herself. Then the accident. The shattered bowl. The orange juice everywhere. And in her frustration, Mom’s voice had risen, sharper than she intended. Words she couldn’t take back.
“She’s still little,” Cubis added quietly. “She looks up to you so much.”
That was all it took. Mom sighed deeply, her shoulders sinking. She walked to the window and saw Lala sitting outside on the porch steps, hugging her knees. Alone, but waiting.
Without hesitation, Mom opened the door and walked toward her. “Lala,” she said softly. The little girl looked up, her face streaked with tears.
“I’m sorry,” Mom whispered, kneeling beside her. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. You were just trying to do something kind.”
Lala nodded slowly, then leaned into her mom’s hug. The moment was quiet, but full of meaning.
Back inside, Cubis smiled to himself. Sometimes, a gentle truth is all it takes to bring people back to each other. 👌
