It was a warm afternoon, and the sun was shining through the window, casting a golden glow across the room. Lala had been playing quietly with her toys in the corner, building a tower of colorful blocks. She was fully focused, her little face serious as she carefully stacked each piece. But suddenly, a sweet, familiar scent wafted through the air—ripe fruit!
Lala’s nose twitched, and she looked around. The scent was coming from the kitchen. She tiptoed over and peeked inside, only to find Thuy sitting at the table with a bowl full of her favorite fruit—mangoes, bananas, and juicy watermelon slices—all cut up and ready to eat.
Lala’s eyes widened. “Thuy!” she shouted, a little stomp of her foot following. “You’re eating without me?”
Thuy looked up, startled, a mango slice halfway to her mouth. “Oh no, Lala! I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said quickly. But Lala had already crossed her arms, a pout forming on her lips. Her cheeks puffed up in frustration as she stood in the doorway, clearly hurt that her snack buddy had left her out.
“I always eat fruit with you,” Lala said with a tiny huff. “You didn’t call me today.”
Thuy put down the fruit and came over, kneeling to meet Lala eye to eye. “I’m so sorry, Lala. I just got hungry and didn’t realize you were still playing. But I saved the best pieces just for you.”
Lala hesitated, still pouting. But her love for fruit was strong. She peeked into the bowl and saw her favorite—chilled watermelon cubes shaped like stars. Her frown softened.
“Okay,” she said slowly, “but next time, you have to call me first!”
Thuy smiled and pulled Lala into a hug. “Deal!”
The two sat down together and shared the fruit, laughter replacing the earlier frustration. For Lala, being included—and getting star-shaped watermelon—made everything better.
