Sugar Daddy

Chapter Eight: Lemon Cookies

"Daddy, Daddy, it's time to wake up!" a shrill little voice cries out, rattling Jungkook from his deep sleep. He groans, rolling over in bed and burying his face in the pillow even as he feels Momo's tiny body climb up onto the bed and flop on his back.

"Momo. Honey...it's too early," Jungkook grumbles, words muffled by the pillow pressed to his cheek. Momo shakes his back excitedly, a bright smile on her lips as her dad tosses her off his back and rolls over.

"It's not too early, Daddy! It's Thursday! C'mon! Get up!" Momo hollers before Jungkook sighs and sits up, looking at his daughter with a somewhat stern stare.

"Momo, I know you're excited, but it is..." a glance at the clock has Jungkook huffing, "I guess 4:55 isn't too early..."

"See? I did good! You have cookies to bake, and you have to be clean for the meeting. Go! Go! Shoo!" she cries, pushing at Jungkook's side with her tiny little hands and Jungkook starts laughing. He complies with her wishes, sliding himself slowly across the bed as if she actually was shoving him off before dramatically rolling and hitting the floor. He just lays there, contemplating the amount of caffeine he will need to keep up with Momo's excitement before she hops off the bed onto his back once again.

"Let's go, Daddy! Up! Up! Up!" she cheers, shaking Jungkook again.

"Okay, okay, I'm going, Pumpkin. Calm down," Jungkook says as he stands, his arms instantly holding onto Momo's little legs while she loops her arms around his neck.

"I can't calm down. I'm so excited. You get to meet Tae Tae!" Momo cries, causing Jungkook to chuckle.

"That's what this is all about? You want me to meet Tae Tae?" Jungkook teasingly says, and Momo's eyes go wide. She remembers Uncle Jin's words about not meddling--or something like that--yet her daddy told her not to lie.

"Tae Tae is nice...he's my friend, so I want Daddy to meet him too..." Momo slowly says, half-lying about her true motives, but not fully lying since she does want Jungkook to meet Taehyung.

"Okay, okay. How bout I get started on those cookies, and you get yourself ready for school. Can you do that, Pumpkin?" Jungkook asks, and Momo nods, "That's my good girl," he chimes, kneeling so that Momo can hop off his back and scurry to the kitchen. Jungkook lets out a soft sigh, knowing that today is going to be one long ass day if Momo's going to have that much energy. Jungkook follows her into the kitchen, patting the top of her head approvingly as she grabs her bowl and cereal box. He turns the coffee maker on, opens the fridge, and grabs the milk for her cereal. He watches as she pours the flakes into a bowl then he pours the milk on top. Once he puts the milk in the fridge, he makes himself a large cup of coffee in a to-go mug so that he can carry it with him and drink the bitter elixir of life.

"I'll be right back, Pumpkin," Jungkook murmurs, kissing the top of her head before hurrying down the hall and the stairs to his bakery below. He turns the oven on to the temperature he needs it to be before going to the fridge where he grabs the cookie dough he prepped the night before. He hates leaving Momo alone upstairs by herself. When she's sleeping, he knows that she is safe, but sometimes his anxiety makes him worry. What if she hurts herself when he's down here? What if she chokes and can't call out for help? What if--

Jungkook stops the horrible what-ifs that whirl through his thoughts, mixing confectioners sugar, milk, lemon zest, and almond extract for the glaze he's going to put on top of the lemon cookies. As he whisks, he keeps his eye on the stairs, listening for any shouts from above. Just in case Momo needs him. When the oven beeps, he sticks the cookies in, sets the timer, and puts the frosting aside before running back upstairs to check in on Momo.

Sometimes, Momo acts just as a normal four-year-old would. She's loud and chaotic, dropping things, or getting her head stuck in her sweaters. Some days, though, she can be the independent child she wants to be. She tames her curly hair into two simple pigtails, slips on her uniform skirt and sweater, and hurries into a pair of socks. When Jungkook makes it upstairs, he sees Momo in the bathroom, brushing her teeth easily as the foamy toothpaste coats her lips. Jungkook smiles proudly, watching her spit the toothpaste in the sink, wash her toothbrush off, stick it in the holder, before washing her face. Some water splashes on Momo's uniform, yet as she looks at it, Jungkook steps into the bathroom with a small towel in his hand. He dabs the water off her shirt, that gentle smile never once leaving his face.