Zee calls when they're snacking on some fruit.
Sky goes on about the dinosaurs he played with in the day care while nibbling on a slice of apple that Nu pain stakingly cut in the shape,
"Aaand 't was grweeeen,"
he enunciates the vowels,
" and it wen' arghhh and grrrrh and andd it has a tail."
It is the third time he retold the story and Nu listens patiently, making encouraging remark sat appropriate places.
Melts when he does this adorable little nose scrunches while imitating the dinosaurs.
Sky seems so excited about them, maybe they could gift him some dinosaur toys on his birthday?
But that's a couple of months away from now and His phone blares
where it sits upon the dining table between them, lighting up with a picture of Zee with a few Sky tucked in his arms.
"Papa!"
Sky exclaims and snatches the phone away before Nu can take a hold of it, smudging the screen with fruit juice in the process.
He slides the receive icon with a chubby finger and presses the phone against his ear immediately, head tilting to the side cutely.
"Hello hello, papa hello?"
He speaks into the speaker.
Zee's answering murmur filters through and reaches nu's ears, staticy and indistinct.
"Uh-huh...mmm...yeah!"
Sky answers back like an adult, seemingly thinking deep about whatever Zee is saying to him.
"I'm havin' a snack!...Mama is havin' a snack too...uh-huh...apple, bananas, kiwi and-"
he goes on listing all the fruits he's eating and Nu watches him fondly.
"Okay papa, love you too,"
he extends the phone towards Nu,
"Papa wan' talk to you."
Nu snorts,
"Does he now?"
He plucks the phone from his small hands and wipes the smudges with a tissue before pressing it to his ear,
"Finish your fruits."
He nods at the bowl in front of Sky and pays attention to his husband.
"Hey love, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing fine. Heard you had a tough day at work?"
"Arghh. How's the little one?"
"Little one is fine too,"
a mushy fondness makes way to Nu's voice.
"Good. There's gonna be a meeting in a few minutes, it'll end pretty late. Will you be alright?"
"I'll be alright, honey. Don't worry about us. Just pay attention to work okay?"
"Thanks babe, I will. See you later then."
"Mmhmm. You'll eat at home though, right?"
"Yep. I love you, bye."
"Love you too." And then he hangs up.
"When will papa come home?", Sky asks, almost finished with his snack, his feet dangle from his seat in the chair.
"Appa has lots of work today, sweetie. He'll be late."
"As late as bed time?"
"I don't know. Maybe even later."
Sky pouts at the answer.
Nu hurries to soothe him,
"I'll read you a nice story for bed time and sing a song for you. How does that sound, hmm?"
"Okay,"
"Great! Now go wash your hands and help me make dinner, will you?"
Nu stands up to collect the bowls and goes to the sink.
Sky obliges excitedly.
He's always happy to help in cooking.
Since, Zee won't be home to cook, Nu might as well start preparing for dinner.
He decides on budae jjigae and helps Sky up a tool in front of the counter.
Sky happily hands him all the ingredients as per Nu's instructions and
helps him in washing, which is just splashing water everywhere, on the counter, on Nu's apron and his own shirt.
"...four,
five,
six and seven,"
Sky and Nu count together as Sky places the tofu slices onthe pot carefully and
claps his hands at everything being organised neatly inside the pot.
Nu removes the lid when the broth is boiling, a thin layer of fume and vapour rises from the pot, carrying a mouth watering smell with it.
"Mmmm,"
Sky sniffs exaggeratedly,
"yummy!"
"Right? It's so yummy. I can't wait to eat!"
Nu matches his enthusiasm as he adds someramen and green onions to the mixture.
"Me too! I think the baby wan' eat too,"
Sky claims thoughtfully.
Nu gasps,
"You think so?"
The toddler nods his head sagely,
"I know so."
"Mama Mama, is the baby a boy? Or a girl?"
Sky asks suddenly.
"Hmm, we don't know yet honey."
"How come?"
He makes a confused little face,
"Sunno says her mama has a baby boy in her tummy, so she's gonna haves a little brother. So why don' you know Mama?"
"That's because we, I mean Appa and me, wanted it to be a surprise,"
Nu tells him carefully while checking on the rice cooker.
"A supprise?"
"Yes. Don't you like surprises?"
"I love supprises!"
Sky wiggles on top of the chair.
"Right, tha why we don't know it yet. We're gonna find out in a few weeks. It'll be a big surprise till then. You have to wait patiently, okay?"
"Okay! I can wait Mama!"
"Good boy. No matter what, you're gonna love your little sister or brother so much. You'll see."
Nu lifts the pot carefully and sets it on the table.
Sky fetches two small bowls at his request and they dig in.