"Yes! Elena go shopping alone!"
I stared at her for a few seconds, trying to understand where this sudden idea had even come from. Until a moment ago, she had been worried about Santa finding out about her pancake crime, and now she was standing in front of me like some independent woman preparing to leave the family home and begin her own life.
I sighed.
"No."
The moment that single word left my mouth, something unbelievable happened.
The entire apartment went silent.
I mean completely silent.
Elena's excited smile disappeared. Her little hands slowly dropped from her waist, and she stared at me as though I'd just said something completely unforgivable. Even I started feeling uncomfortable under that look, but I remained firm. There was no way I was going to let my little daughter wander through the market alone just because she'd suddenly decided she was old enough to do it.
Then her eyes became watery.
Oh no.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Elena—"
Before I could finish, she dropped onto the floor.
"ELENA WANT TO GO!"
"What the—"
"ELENA WANT SHOPPING ALONE!"
She threw herself onto her back and started kicking her legs while swinging both arms against the floor. Within seconds, my daughter had transformed into some kind of furious starfish, screaming about shopping while moving every limb she possessed.
"Elena want go! Elena want go alone! Elena go shopping!"
I stood there watching her performance with my mouth slightly open.
Was this seriously the same child who had been smiling at me five seconds ago?
Elena rolled slightly from one side to another before continuing her demanding dance across the floor. I didn't even know whether I should be annoyed or impressed by the amount of energy she was putting into this. If she'd used half this determination while making those pancakes yesterday, maybe we would actually have breakfast right now.
Eventually, I did what any responsible husband would do when facing an impossible parenting situation.
I looked toward my wife for help.
Erza was still sitting on the sofa.
She had been watching television throughout the beginning of Elena's performance, but even she was starting to look irritated by the screaming. I desperately stared at her, silently asking her to please remember that Elena was also her daughter.
Erza noticed.
She sighed, casually waved one hand toward me and returned her attention to the television.
"Deal with it. Don't involve me."
"What?"
I stared at her in disbelief.
"How can you say that? She's your daughter too!"
"She's currently screaming at you."
"That's not how parenting works!"
"Yeah, whatever."
She continued watching television.
I couldn't believe this woman.
Meanwhile, Elena was still on the floor, kicking her legs and repeating the same demand over and over again. I looked at Erza, received absolutely no support, then looked down at the tiny monster we'd somehow created together.
"This child of mine..."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Okay, okay! I get it! You can go!"
The tantrum stopped.
Instantly.
Not gradually.
One second Elena had been screaming like the world was ending, and the next she was sitting perfectly still on the floor.
I blinked.
Elena blinked back at me.
Then she suddenly jumped to her feet with so much energy that I almost stepped backward.
"REALLY?!"
Her eyes practically exploded with excitement as she rushed toward me.
"Really, really, Papa?! Elena can go alone?!"
I stared at her suspiciously.
That recovery was far too fast.
Had I just been manipulated by my own daughter?
No. Surely not.
She was too young for that.
...Right?
I didn't particularly like the idea of letting her go alone, but somehow she'd managed to corner me into agreeing. I sighed and crouched slightly so I could look her directly in the eyes.
"Yes. You can go."
"YES!"
Elena threw both hands above her head.
"YES! ELENA CAN GO ALONE!"
She immediately started jumping around the room, doing some strange little victory dance that seemed to involve spinning, raising her hands and repeatedly announcing that she could shop like Papa.
"Elena go shopping! Elena go alone like Papa! Elena big girl!"
I couldn't stop myself from smiling.
A part of me was still screaming that this was a terrible idea. She was my daughter, after all. The thought of letting her walk around without holding either my hand or Erza's was enough to make me uncomfortable.
But then I looked at her.
She was so unbelievably happy.
Seeing that huge smile on my daughter's face did something strange to me. Even though I hadn't wanted to agree, watching her celebrate such a small piece of independence made my chest feel warm. Maybe to me it was simply a trip to buy groceries, but to Elena, this probably felt like some enormous adventure.
My eyes briefly moved toward Erza.
She was watching Elena too.
There was a small smile on her face.
It wasn't exaggerated, and she didn't say anything. She simply watched our daughter dance around the room with a softness in her eyes that she rarely allowed anyone else to see.
Then Erza noticed me looking.
Her smile disappeared almost immediately, and she turned back toward the television.
I smiled to myself.
Of course.
That was my wife.
I looked back at Elena, who was still celebrating her victory as though she'd just conquered an entire kingdom.
So it was decided.
For the first time, I was going to let my daughter go shopping alone.
Of course...
I never said I wouldn't follow her.