It was a peaceful morning in the house, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Thuy was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast, while little Lala tiptoed around with her usual curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
She noticed the warm cup of coffee Thuy had placed on the table. The steam rising from it looked magical, and the smell was sweet and strong. “Hmm… What is this brown drink Mom always has?” she whispered to herself.
Despite knowing she wasn’t supposed to touch anything on the table, Lala couldn’t help herself. She slowly reached out her tiny hand toward the mug and gave it a gentle nudge—oops! The cup wobbled and then—splash! Coffee spilled all over the table and dripped onto the floor.
Lala gasped. Her eyes widened in panic. “Oh no! Mom’s coffee!” she whispered, frozen in place.
Hearing the commotion, Thuy called out from the kitchen, “Lala? Is everything okay?”
Panicking, Lala quickly grabbed a napkin and tried to clean it, but it only made a bigger mess. Feeling nervous and guilty, she tiptoed away and hid behind the curtains, peeking out quietly.
Thuy entered the room and saw the spilled coffee and the empty cup. She looked around and spotted two tiny feet sticking out from behind the curtain. “Lala,” she called gently, trying not to smile.
Slowly, Lala peeked out with big, guilty eyes. “I’m sorry, Mom… I just wanted to smell it.”
Thuy knelt down and pulled her into a hug. “I know you were curious, sweetie. But next time, ask me first, okay?”
Lala nodded and hugged her back. “I promise.”
Together, they cleaned up the mess, and Thuy poured herself a new cup. She even gave Lala her own tiny cup of warm milk so she could feel included—without the caffeine!
That morning, Lala learned an important lesson: curiosity is okay, but being careful and honest is even better.
