The Sky Blue House
That day, some of Mom and Dad's friends came over. Everyone was sitting around eating fruit when one of the uncles turned to Bun and asked, half-joking, half-serious:
— Later on, when it's just you, how are you going to take care of your parents?
Bun didn't think long and answered right away, super quick:
— I'll just put you and Dad in a nursing home. Done.
Then Bun giggled. Everyone burst out laughing. The grown-ups laughed like, "Oh wow, kids these days..." and Bun laughed like, job done.
That evening, before leaving, the friends kept teasing:
— See, you send your kid to international school and when they grow up, they put you in a nursing home.
Mom wasn't about to lose, so she shot back:
— Well, as long as Bun puts us in an international nursing home, that's fine, right?
Everyone laughed. It seemed like that was the end of the story.
But that night, when the house was quiet, Bun leaned close to Mom's ear and whispered, voice tiny, like she was afraid her thought might float away:
— I'll build you a pink house... so you can plant lots of flowers, okay?
Mom didn't answer right away. In her head, a soft little "oh" popped up.
Oh... so that's how it is. Earlier was just joking around. Turns out she really does care about Mom, and doesn't want her to be sad.
Mom whispered back:
— I think if you paint it white or sky blue, the flowers will really pop and look even brighter.
Bun thought for a second, then decided:
— Okay, let's paint it sky blue, Mom.
The two of them giggled and hugged each other. A hug that didn't need any explanation.