Chapter Text
„Nanay!“ Yoonchae yells, running up to Sophia and grinning widely
Sophia scoops her up and kisses her cheek.
„Ah! My beautiful Anak! How are you? How was Mama‘s house?“
„So much fun! Meggy came over to play and and then we went out for ice cream!“
Sophia’s head turns to see Daniela walking up to her, holding Yoonchae‘s backpack in her hand.
„Sophia.“ she says, handing her the bag.
„Daniela.“
There’s an awkward pause.
„You look good.“
„I know.“ She scoffs. „She has a doctors appointment at one tomorrow, don’t forget.“
„I won’t forget.“ She mutters, setting Yoonchae back down on the ground.
„You forgot last time.“
„I know. I said I was sorry.“
„I don’t want your apology, I just want you to remember.“ she glares.
„Please stop.“ Yoonchae‘s small voice cuts in. „I don’t like it when you fight.“
Daniela snaps out of her irritation and crouches down to Yoonchae.
„We‘re not fighting, baby, I’m sorry. Sometimes Nanay just needs a couple extra reminders.“
She kisses Yoonchae’s cheek.
„Now go have fun with your mom.“
Sophia gets her buckled in her car seat and closes the door turning back to Daniela.
„Sooo, Chip says you’re seeing someone?“
Dani crosses her arms, ready to be defensive.
„Yeah. His name is Jonah.“
Sophia nods,
„Cool- cool.“
„You and Leon still talking?“
Sophia shakes her head.
„No, not really. He’s not really my scene.“
Dani nods and notices Sophia‘s ruffled sweater, she instinctively steps forward, fixing the collar and pulling slightly at the sleeves to fix it.
„You’re a mess.“
„I know.“
„Go. She’s waiting.“
But her hands linger on her lapels just a second longer.
Then she walks away, back into her car and drives off.
Sophia watches her go.
Her hand reaches up and touches the part of her sweater that Dani fixed, rubbing it between her fingers.
She let out a heavy sigh and turned on her heel, getting into her car and putting her smile back on.
“Ready to head home?”
“Yeah!” She beams.
-
Sophia can’t help but feel like there’s something she’s supposed to remember about today.
She had her morning tea. Got Yoonchae bathed and dressed for school. Took Yoonchae to school. Texted her parents.
She couldn’t remember.
But the feeling nagged at her.
Daniela would know-
Maybe she should ask.
“Miss Laforteza! Pik’u needs help with costumes.”
“Coming!” She hollers.
She runs into the changing rooms, sewing kit in hand.
“What do you need help with?” She asks the student.
“How do I like make this come together but like, pretty?”
Sophia chuckles,
“It’s actually quite simple-”
She fixes the stitching for the student and walks off to help others.
What was it she was thinking about earlier…?
She goes about her day like normal, helping her students and other staff members get ready for the play next week.
“Shit.” She mutters to herself.
She’s late to pick up Yoonchae.
She quickly says goodbye to everyone, running out to her car and making several traffic violations to get to the school on time.
“Fucking hell.” She mutters to herself when she sees Yoonchae standing out at the front alone.
Yoonchae’s eyes are red and puffy, she had visibly been crying.
She almost runs out of her car to her when she pulls all the way up.
“Baby, I’m so sorry-”
“I wanna go home!” She yells, throwing her backpack at Sophia.
Fuck, she messed up.
She messed up really bad.
Yoonchae barely lets her buckle her in, frowning and arms crossed the entire time.
“Chippy..”
“No! You forgot me!”
“I didn’t forget you, Anak, I promise.”
“You always forget me.” She huffs and looks out the window.
Sophia doesn’t say anything further. She grips the steering wheel too hard and drives home with a scattered mind and a panicked heart.
Yoonchae manages to unbuckle herself when they stop at the house, climbing out of her carseat and jumping out once Sophia opens the door for her.
Sophia follows her up to the door, opening it and walking in.
The house is messy, unkept.
Daniela was the one that kept it in order.
But Daniela wasn’t here any more.
Daniela moved out in the divorce, because technically Sophia was the one that owned it.
She tried to give Daniela the house.
She wanted Daniela to have it.
But she wouldn’t take it.
“I’m not your charity case, Sophia.” She had said.
Sophia didn’t think she was. She just wanted to help.
She only ever wanted to help.
“I’m hungry.” Yoonchae announced, still pouting.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“Kare Kare!”
“Baby that takes a while, can you wait that long?”
She was just glad she had gotten the pressure cooker in the divorce or she would be screwed.
“Yep!” Yoonchae says firmly.
Sophia sighs. She was completely and utterly exhausted and emotional but she had to make her daughter dinner.
So she began preparing anyway.
“Do your homework while I cook.”
“Noooo, I don’t want to!”
“Yes. I know you have to read two chapters today.”
“You’re the worst.”
“I get that a lot.”
She begins braising the oxtail, searing it first before she lets it sit in the broth.
Her phone begins buzzing on the counter.
“It’s Mama!”
“Can you answer it and tell her I’m cooking?”
Yoonchae picks up the phone and presses the button, putting it on speaker.
“Sophia.” Dani starts.
“Mama!”
“Oh, hi my sweet girl. How are you? Where’s Nanay?”
“She’s making dinner! Are you coming over for dinner?”
“No baby. I need to talk to Nanay, can you put her on?”
Sophia sighs and starts washing her hands.
Once they’re dried she picks up the phone and takes it off speaker, putting it to her ear.
“What do you need?”
“Is she still in the room?”
Sophia pulls the phone away from her ear.
“Chippy, can you go in your room for a bit while I talk to Mama?”
Yoonchae’s brow furrows.
“It’s okay, we just need to talk for a minute. Everything’s fine.”
“That’s what you said before.” Yoonchae huffs, sliding off her chair and bringing her book to her room.
“Alright, what is it.”
“Why do I have a charge for seventy fucking dollars for a no call no show doctors appointment.”
Sophia gasps.
That’s what it was. Fuck she knew she needed to set a reminder, why didn’t she send a reminder.
“Fuck, Daniela I’m sorry, it completely slipped my mind- it was so hectic at the school today preparing for the play on tuesday-”
“Save it.”
Sophia stops talking and stirs the stew instead.
“I can’t fucking believe you. I can’t afford that, Sophia.” She groans.
“I’ll venmo you right now. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
She turns up the volume, not on speaker but still loud enough for her to hear.
She finds her venmo app, transferring Daniela a hundred and twenty bucks for good measure.
“I’m sorry.” She says again.
“I told you I don’t want you to fucking apologize, Sophia. I just wanted you to remember.”
“I know, I know, I fucked up. I’ll reschedule it and set a reminder next time.”
“Do you need to set a reminder to remember our fucking daughter at school too? Or is that just too much?”
Sophia winced.
“They called you?”
“Yeah. They fucking called me because my child gets forgotten by her mom once a damn week!”
“I got there as quick as I could”
“Damn it, Sophia! God really I should’ve known you would forget! For fucks sake this is exactly why we got a divorce-”
She cuts herself off when she realizes what she said.
„Wait Sophia, I’m sorry.“
„It’s fine.“ she mumbles. „You’re right.“
„Wait wait-„
„I’ll do better.“
She ends the call and sets her phone down, staring into the bubbling stew.
“Nanay?”
“Yoonchae!” She gasped, slightly startled. “What’s wrong baby, why are you crying?”
“Is Mama mad at you again?”
Sophia sighs and slides down to sit on the floor.
“It’s okay sweetheart. Mama’s allowed to feel angry with me, I did an oopsies.”
“I don’t like it when Mama’s mad at you.”
“I know, but you need to let Mama feel her feelings, even if you don’t like them.”
Yoonchae pouts.
“Y’know how you were upset earlier? Because Nanay made a mistake?”
Yoonchae nods silently, pulling her stuffed bear closer to her chest.
“That’s how Mama is feeling. How would you feel if I told you to stop being upset just because it made me upset too?”
“Not good.”
“That’s right, so you gotta let Mama be angry sometimes. It’s okay to be angry, just don’t take it out on people, okay?”
“Yes, Nanay.”
“Good, Anak. Now finish your reading, I’ll be done with dinner as soon as I can.”