Mom and Mommy's Guide to Getting Remarried

I have the best mom in the whole world.

Her name is Ren Yi, and she's an elementary school Chinese teacher. Everyone likes her.

"Ren Yunyou, your mom is so gentle."

"I like Teacher Ren the most!"

"Yeah, Teacher Ren's classes are so much fun, too."

Hmph. Of course. My mom is the best in the world.

My mommy is the best in the world, too.

Her name is Ruan Mianmian. She's a teacher, too, but she teaches at a tutoring center.

I asked her why she didn't work with Mom. She said she wasn't as good as Mom and could only find this kind of job.

I didn't understand, because I thought Mommy was amazing, too.

She could always pull all sorts of things out of her bag: snacks Mom wouldn't let me eat, pretty comics, cute plush keychains... She taught me how to swim and ride a bike. Mommy could do everything. She was like a superhero.

I love Mom, and I love Mommy.

With them by my side, I'm the happiest kid in the world.

I used to think every kid had two moms, until I started kindergarten and learned that most kids actually have only one.

I was secretly pleased. I was a kid who was different from everyone else.

At first, I called them both Mom, but whenever I did, they'd answer at the same time. It was so inconvenient, so I suggested:

"Then can I call one Mom and the other Little Mom?"

Mom had just taken a sip of milk. When she heard me, she choked and turned bright red.

"Yunyun, why don't you call me Mommy?" Mommy said after laughing for a while.

They never told me, but I knew I wasn't their biological child. I'd seen a red booklet at home that said "Adoption Registration Certificate," and I knew what those words meant.

None of that changed how much they loved me, or how much I loved them.

My maternal grandparents love me, too.

Whenever Mom scolds me, I run behind Grandma. She always takes my side and makes me delicious food.

My aunt is great, too. Whenever she comes home, she brings me a present, but she's so timid. She's even more afraid of Mom than I am.

I happily finished kindergarten and lived with Mom and Mommy in a residential complex two blocks from school. We had a happy life.

Then one day, when I was in second grade, Mommy suddenly stopped living at home with us.

She didn't come home for a very, very long time.

One of my classmates had parents who lived apart, too. Her mom and dad were getting divorced, and she couldn't decide whether to stay with her mom or her dad.

I didn't want to be separated from Mom, and I didn't want to be separated from Mommy.

Mom must have been sad, too. She still took me to and from school like before, read me bedtime stories, and took me to Grandma's for meals, but I knew she was heartbroken.

"Mom, does Mommy not want us anymore?" I asked one night after Mom finished reading me a bedtime story.

I pulled the blanket up high, leaving only my eyes visible. I didn't want Mom to see the corners of my mouth turning down.

She paused, then picked up the kitten plushie Mommy had bought and placed it beside me.

"How could Mommy not want you? She loves you most of all." Mom kissed my forehead good night.

"I believe you, Mom." I nodded and closed my eyes.

As I drifted off, I heard Mom whisper,

"She just doesn't want me anymore."

Theme: Love conquers all.