When I got my very own smartphone at the age of five, I started receiving strange messages every day. The stranger on the other end called me "Mom." At 3:00 AM this morning, she texted again. "Mom, I dreamed of you again. The attic is leaking. My stepmother told me to soak it up with a rag, but the rag is too small. I’ve been wiping all night and it’s still wet. Mom, I’m so cold and hungry. I miss you..." I tilted my head, watching the rain pour against my window, and typed out a serious reply with my tiny fingers: "Don't be scared, baby. Where are you? Mommy will send you some yummy food!" 1 "Who are you?" The reply came instantly. I was confused. I blinked my big eyes and pouted. "Didn't you call me Mom?" Why was she asking who I was now? To show I was a responsible mother, I added a cute, patient emoji at the end of my sentence. (◕‿◕) But I waited a long time. My daughter never replied, and I eventually drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and instinctively reached for my phone. There was a message on the screen: "You aren't my mom. My mom passed away five years ago." I looked down at my round little tummy and put my hands on my hips, puffing up my cheeks. "That’s rude! I’m five years old this year, alive and kicking!" Then, it hit me. Her mom disappeared five years ago. My mommy says when people disappear, they get reincarnated. I am exactly five years old. Maybe I really am her mom! When we play house at preschool, I’m always the Gold Medal Mommy! Just as I was about to explain this logic to her, a new message popped up. "I don't know who you are, but thank you." "This was my mom's old number. Today is my 18th birthday. If it’s not too much trouble, could you wish me a happy birthday?" I slipped into my bunny slippers and sent a voice note in my milky, toddler voice, which converted to text: "Happy Birthday, baby! Be happy and eat lots of candy!" Then I thought about it. Every year on my birthday, Mommy and Daddy give me big presents. My daughter needs a big present too. So I texted: "What gift do you want from Mommy today?" "Mommy likes cute dolls and chocolate. What do you like?" The girl on the other end hesitated for a long time before replying: "Could you send me some painkillers?" I didn't really know what painkillers were. But I knew people only took medicine when they were sick. I quickly asked, "Baby, are you sick?" "Actually, my stepmother locked me in the attic last night..." She seemed afraid I would misunderstand and started explaining. "She said I stole money. She locked me up and beat me. I hurt all over. I just want the pain to stop." Stepmother. That sounded bad. Like the Evil Queen in Snow White. Furious, I typed back: "Your stepmom is so bad! She’s a monster! Don't be scared, baby. My Daddy is a Bulldog in the Chinese zodiac... wait, no, he's just fierce! I'll tell him to bite her for you!" I asked for her address, then ran downstairs to find our housekeeper, Mrs. Higgins. "Mrs. Higgins, I need a delivery service!" Then I opened the cabinet and sprawled out on the floor, my little butt in the air, rummaging through the boxes. There were so many colorful boxes. I didn't recognize any of them. Mrs. Higgins saw my face scrunched up in confusion and asked kindly, "Lily, honey, what are you looking for?" I looked up at her. "Mrs. Higgins, which one is the painkiller?" She looked worried, picked me up, and checked my forehead. "What's wrong, honey? Do you feel sick?" I shook my head obediently. "Lily isn't sick. But Lily’s daughter is having a birthday today, and I need to send her painkillers!" Mrs. Higgins thought I was playing pretend with my dolls. She laughed. "Lily, you eat cake on birthdays, not medicine." I slapped my forehead. Right! Birthdays need cake and candy. That way, the medicine won't taste bitter. 2 I begged Mrs. Higgins to order a cake for me. Even though she was confused, she helped me order a cute one with a purple bunny on it. I packed two boxes of Tylenol and my secret stash of gummy bears—the ones I couldn't bear to eat myself—into a pink gift bag. Then I called a TaskRabbit runner to deliver it to my daughter's high school. "Dearest baby, Mommy prepared lots of gifts. Remember to eat a gummy bear after the medicine so it won't be bitter. Happy Birthday!" After the order was complete, I messaged the delivery guy: "Sir, is my daughter okay?" The delivery guy texted back: "The girl had bruises on her arms. She looked like she’s been having a hard time. Her clothes were old and patched. She looked very pale. Poor kid." My heart squeezed tight. What mother wouldn't worry about her child? Later, my daughter sent me a photo of her eating the cake. "Thank you. This is the first birthday cake I've had since my mom died. It’s delicious. The candy is sweet too." "It's okay! Mommy will buy you cake for every birthday from now on!" "Thank you, Mom." I happily opened Google and searched: How to raise a daughter. The internet said daughters need to be spoiled and given the best things in the world. I nodded wisely. My gaze drifted to my pink piggy bank. When Mommy walked into my room with a strawberry milkshake, I was smashing the pig with a toy hammer. Crash! Coins and bills scattered over the carpet like confetti. I crawled around picking them up. "This is for candy... this is for a dress... this is for new toys... and this is for Daddy, to pay him to bite the bad stepmother!" Mommy leaned against the doorframe, amused. "Lily, why did you break your favorite piggy bank? Do you want a new toy?" I hugged her leg excitedly. "Baby has a daughter now! I have to raise her!" Mommy jumped. "Where did you get a daughter?" I showed her the phone screen. "I found her myself! She has no mom and a bad stepmom bullies her." "The internet says raising a kid is expensive. I have to work hard!" Mommy looked at me, speechless but patient. "Lily, there are bad people in the world. Not everyone loves you like Daddy and I do. It might be a scammer." I shook my head. "No! A scammer would ask for lots of money. My daughter only asked for a painkiller." "Her mom left her. If I, her new mom, don't help, the bad stepmother will hurt her!" Mommy sighed. "The police will help her." "The police can't help everyone," I said solemnly. "But I'm her mom. I will protect her." Daddy walked in and dropped his briefcase. "What? Lily is a mom?" "But honey, you're five. You can't even tie your shoes..." "Moms don't need to tie shoes!" I argued, tilting my head. "Moms just need to wipe tears, share candy, and..." I stood on my tiptoes to kiss both their cheeks. "And say 'I love you' 100 times a day!" "I know I can be a good mom!" 3 My parents couldn't argue with my logic. They sighed. "Okay, we believe you." "But we need to ensure your safety, so we're going to run a background check on this girl..." I didn't understand what that meant. But I knew my daughter was good. They would like her. That night, my daughter sent a photo. A dark, cramped attic with a thin blanket on the floor. "This is where I sleep." I felt so sad. I took a picture of the star-shaped nightlight in my room. "Don't be scared, baby. I'll share my stars with you!" She replied: "Okay." Then she sent a photo of a faded family portrait. A woman holding a baby. The woman had a distinct mole on her ear. I scrambled out of bed and looked in the mirror. I ran to Mommy. "Look! My ear has the same mark as her mom!" I took a picture of my ear and sent it. "My grandpa said people who leave come back with gifts. Look, my ear matches your mom!" The phone was silent for a long time. Then: "Will you stay with me? Mom." "Of course!" I knew this wasn't a game. I had a real daughter now. That night, Grandpa sent me a digital red envelope with money. I immediately transferred it to my daughter. She was shocked. "Why are you giving me money?" "You're my daughter! Moms give allowance!" She returned the money immediately. "Thank you, but I can't take it. My dad is a sailor. He sends tuition and living expenses to the school. I can eat there..." "Mom, just talk to me. That's all I need." My eyes got hot. My daughter was so sensible. "Okay. Tell Mommy everything." My phone buzzed. A call! I panicked. If she hears I'm five, will she fire me as her mom? I hesitated, then answered. Rain drummed in the background. A teenager's voice came through. "Hello. Thank you for being willing to play my mom." I deepened my voice, but I still sounded like a chipmunk. "It's what Mommies do!" Her voice trembled. "Thank you. Besides Ginger, you're the only one who talks to me now." "Who is Ginger?" "My mom's old cat. She's nine now. An old lady." She sent a picture of a round orange tabby with white whiskers. "Wow! What a cute kitty! With me and the kitty, you won't be sad anymore!" "Okay. I won't be sad." We talked every night. She told me about school, about the challenges of growing up. I read her fairy tales from my new books. Daddy and Mommy stood at my door, jealous. "Our daughter has a kid and ignores us old folks now." "Lily, aren't you sleeping with Mommy tonight?" I lifted my chin. "Mommy, my daughter's name is Chloe. Isn't that pretty?" "Sounds like a princess!" Daddy sighed. "Yes, yes. Your daughter is better than mine!" I pouted. "Your daughter isn't bad either!" 4 But then, things went wrong. For three days, no calls. No texts. I had a bad feeling. Was my daughter in trouble? Just as I was panicking, a message came through: "Help me!!" I screamed, waking up my parents. "Mommy! Daddy! My daughter is in danger! We have to save her!" It was my first time at Chloe's apartment complex. It was late, but a crowd had gathered downstairs. "Did you hear? Chloe's stepmom tried to set her up with some old guy for marriage. Chloe refused, so the stepmom threw the cat off the balcony!" "That woman is venomous! What is the dad thinking, leaving his kid with her?" "He's a sailor, gone all year. It's a domestic issue, nobody interferes." In the center of the crowd, a thin girl hugged a bleeding cat, begging for help. "Please, someone save my cat! Please!" Her voice broke my heart. A sharp-faced woman stepped out, sneering. "I told you to listen. It's just a stupid cat!" "You want to save it? Fine! Forget the SATs. Marry that man like I said!" Chloe cried, hopeless. "Please let me go. I only have this cat... I want to take the test. I want to go to college!" The woman smirked. "College? Not up to you! I'm your guardian!" She stepped on the cat's tail with her high heel. The cat was too weak to move. Chloe hit the woman's leg in desperation. "Call your dad right now," the woman hissed. "Tell him you want to get married, not study. Or the cat dies, and your future dies with it!" Chloe slumped, eyes dead. "Okay. I'll call him." I was furious. My precious treasure was being bullied! I broke free from my mom's hand and charged through the crowd. I stood in front of the bad woman, hands on my hips. "What are you doing! Don't you dare bully my daughter!" The woman laughed hysterically. "Where did this brat come from? Kid, are you crazy? I'm her mother! Her legal guardian!" "Disciplining my daughter is none of your business!" The crowd laughed at me. The bad woman stepped toward me. "Go drink some milk, kid. Don't play hero." Chloe looked at me, shocked. "I didn't think... you were actually a child..." She wept. "And you actually came..." Before she could finish, the woman grabbed her. Chloe trembled. "I'm okay, don't worry about me. Please... can you take Ginger?" She handed me the bloody cat. "Thank you for coming." I held the weak cat and started wailing. I was a useless mom. I couldn't protect her. Suddenly, my real Mommy’s voice rang out behind me. "Mrs. Stepmother, everything you just said can be used in court. As a senior partner at Horizon Law, I suspect you of fraud and child abuse!"
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