After the little celebration—
She wiped the cream from his face and carried him back to the bedroom.
He was already sleepy.
She laid him down gently and tucked the blanket around him.
"Mom~…" he yawned sleepily.
"I'm here."
"Mhm…"
His fingers curled around her sleeve before slowly relaxing.
Within minutes, he was asleep.
She stayed there for a moment, watching his steady breathing.
Then quietly reached for her phone.
Search: birthday places for toddlers.
She scrolled.
Aquarium.Children's museum.Zoo.
"Hmm… the zoo…"
She imagined Luoli screaming happily at different animals, running from one enclosure to another.
But it's too cold.
He might catch a cold.
Her finger hovered over the screen.
Aquarium.
Maybe he'll like it…
Fish. Lights. Big tanks.
He likes the dog sound on the tablet.
Maybe he'll like fish too.
Aquarium it is then
She placed the phone down and turned off the light.
Tomorrow will be a good day.
The next morning—
She woke up earlier than usual.
Extra clothes.Milk powder.Bottle.Diapers.Wet wipes.
She neatly packed everything into a small bag.
Lunch… should I make it?
She glanced at the time.
We'll eat outside today.
Just this once.
She cleaned up the apartment quickly, not wanting to return to a messy home later.
About an hour later—
She washed up and walked into the bedroom.
"Luoli, wake up."
"Mom…" he mumbled.
A few minutes later, he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Mommy… I hungryyy…"
She smiled.
"Alright. But let's brush our teeth first."
He nodded sleepily.
She carried him to the bathroom.
A little later—
She held up two shirts.
"Which one do you want to wear? Red or blue?"
"Blue one… blue wear."
"Okay."
She helped him change.
Tiny socks.Tiny shoes.
After everything was ready—
She knelt down in front of him.
"We're going to the aquarium today."
"Aqualim?" he tilted his head.
She chuckled.
"I mean… fishy. We're going to see fish."
His eyes widened.
"Ohhh… we seeee fishy… fishi fishi!"
"Yes."
She reached out her hand.
"Shall we go?"
"Yay!"
She picked up the bag and held his small hand.
The door closed behind them.
At the aquarium gate—
"Two tickets please. One child and one adult."
"That'll be 140 yuan."
She paid and took the tickets.
"Have a nice day."
"Thank you."
The moment they stepped inside—
Cool air brushed against her face.
Soft blue light filled the hallway.
Water reflected against the walls in slow ripples.
"Mom! Mom! Fishiii! Fishi waooooo!"
Luoli's eyes were huge.
He pointed everywhere.
"Look! Blue fishi! Red fishi!"
"Yes, yes, I see."
He ran a few steps ahead before she gently caught his hand again.
"Slowly."
Good thing I came on a Monday.
Less people.
More space for him.
They walked toward a massive tank that stretched from floor to ceiling.
Schools of fish swam in smooth, silent waves.
Luoli pressed both hands against the glass.
"Mom… big fishi…"
A shadow passed overhead.
A sleek gray body glided through the water.
"It's a shark, Luoli."
He blinked.
"Shak?"
"Yes. It eats small fish."
There was a pause.
His lips trembled.
"For lunch…"
His eyes widened.
"Wahhh! Bad big fishiii!"
Tears pooled instantly.
She crouched down quickly.
"No, no, no. I was joking."
She wiped his cheeks.
"It doesn't eat the small fish here."
He sniffed.
"Really…?"
"Yes. They're friends here."
He thought about it very seriously.
"…Oh."
He turned back to the tank, suspiciously watching the shark.
"Don't eat, okay?"
She almost laughed.
"Okay. It won't."
He placed his tiny palm on the glass again.
"Bad fishi… no eat."
The shark swam past, completely indifferent.
She watched her son instead.
His reflection mixed with the floating fish.
Tiny. Excited. Alive.
This world…
It feels different when seen through his eyes.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
"I happy."
Her heart softened instantly.
"I'm happy too."