The apartment looked like a glitter bomb had gone off and no one had bothered to clean it. Streamers hung half-detached from the ceiling fan. Wrinkled plastic tablecloths bunched up on the floor like forgotten capes. Someone had drawn smiley faces on the bathroom mirror with lipstick. There was frosting on the windowsill. Actual frosting.
It was the day after Aya's birthday party, and the apartment had not recovered.
Neither had Mimi or Itsuki.
Mimi groaned as she stepped on a plastic tiara in the hallway, while Itsuki sat at the kitchen table with a mug of cold coffee, staring into the middle distance like a war survivor.
Aya, meanwhile, was doing great. She came bouncing out of her room wearing a unicorn onesie, glitter on her cheeks, and a birthday crown that was somehow still intact. She looked suspiciously energized for someone who had eaten half a cake and five candy necklaces yesterday.
"Mamaaaa," she chirped. "Can Juliet come over again today?"
"Again?" Mimi asked, blinking blearily. "Didn't she leave like... eight hours ago?"
Aya nodded like that was irrelevant. "We're gonna finish building our magic love castle."
Itsuki looked up slowly. "Your what?"
Aya climbed into her chair and started picking blueberries off her pancake like it was a personal project. "It's for me and Juliet. We're getting married."
Both Mimi and Itsuki froze.
"Married?" Mimi echoed.
Aya nodded, totally serious. "She asked me yesterday. After we high-fived for winning the cake game. And I said yes. So now we need a castle."
Itsuki set down her mug. "The cake game?"
"We stuffed cupcakes into our faces without using our hands. Claire said it was disgusting but Juliet said it was romantic."
Mimi rubbed her eyes. "Okay. Okay, just—what do you mean you're getting married?"
Aya looked up, chewing thoughtfully. "Like you and Mama. Juliet says she wants to wear a long dress and I want the one with sparkles. She said we should get married before we go to real school, because after that it might be too late."
Itsuki blinked. "Too late...?"
"Because of taxes," Aya said in a whisper, like it was a scary word.
Mimi gave up and dropped her head on the table.
Aya continued like she was narrating a documentary. "We already practiced holding hands and doing serious faces. And yesterday, we kissed. Like you and Mama do."
Mimi's head snapped back up. "Wait. What?!"
"We kissed," Aya repeated casually. "Just once. To see if it felt like how grown-ups do it."
Itsuki's mouth opened but no words came out.
"Kiss where?" Mimi asked sharply. "On the cheek or—?"
"On the lips," Aya answered, like this was completely normal. "Just like a peck. Like in cartoons."
Mimi stared at her, unsure whether to scream, laugh, or call a parenting hotline.
Itsuki cleared her throat. "Uhhh... okay. Wow. That's... a big thing."
"I didn't think it was big," Aya said, frowning. "It wasn't gross or anything. But it was weird. Juliet said it felt like squishing jelly beans."
Mimi coughed, trying to hide her laugh.
Aya looked at her moms seriously. "You kiss. I wanted to try it. We love each other too. She says I'm her sparkle star. I said I'd protect her with my laser eyes."
Itsuki put a hand over her face.
Mimi looked at her daughter. "Sweetheart, listen. I'm not mad. But kissing—even pretend kissing—isn't just about copying adults. It's something people usually do when they really understand it. And you're still learning about what all those feelings mean."
Aya looked down. "So… I'm not allowed to kiss?"
Mimi hesitated. "It's not about allowed. It's about knowing why you're doing it. Being sure. Not just copying what you see. There's a difference between hugs and kisses, and you don't need to rush into anything."
Aya picked up a blueberry and squished it between her fingers. "Juliet said maybe we should do it again today."
Itsuki looked alarmed. "Maybe let's not rush into a wedding either."
"But we already made the guest list," Aya replied. "And Juliet's mom said she'd bake cookies."
Mimi sighed, rubbing her forehead. "You can pretend to get married, okay? Like make-believe. But no more lip kissing for now. Just… save that for when you're older."
Aya pouted. "You're saying I can't do what you do."
"You also don't pay bills or do taxes," Itsuki muttered. "Which you did say were the reason for rushing this wedding."
"But we love each other!" Aya whined.
"And you can keep loving each other," Mimi said gently. "Just without jelly bean kisses."
That seemed to settle things for the moment. Aya huffed but accepted the pancake Mimi slid her way.
A few hours later, Juliet arrived in a glitter cape and mismatched shoes. The two girls immediately ran to Aya's room, dragging a giant pile of dress-up clothes, craft glue, and tiny tiaras. Mimi braced herself for more glitter in the carpet.
In the living room, Mimi and Itsuki collapsed on the couch, exhausted.
"So," Itsuki said, rubbing her temples. "We're officially moms of a kid who's kissed someone."
Mimi groaned. "I wasn't ready for this."
"She's five."
"Almost six," Mimi corrected, grimacing.
Itsuki pulled her legs up and looked toward Aya's room. "Is this normal?"
"Totally. Kids mimic what they see. They copy affection, curiosity... they're just figuring it all out."
"But married?"
Mimi snorted. "That part cracked me up. Juliet said they're rushing because of taxes."
"That's both adorable and terrifying."
"I think we handled it okay."
"I wanted to jump out the window."
They sat in silence for a while, listening to muffled giggles from down the hall. Then a shriek of "THE WEDDING IS STARTING!" echoed from the bedroom.
"Oh no," Itsuki muttered.
Mimi sighed. "We have to go, don't we."
They walked in to find Aya wearing a rainbow tutu and a flower crown made of plastic spoons. Juliet was in a sheet-veil and holding a paper towel roll like a bouquet.
Claire and Saanvi's dolls had been lined up in neat rows, all facing a Lego altar.
"Do you, Princess Aya of Sparkleland, promise to be Juliet's Best Friend Forever and ever and ever, even when she's grumpy or covered in mud?" asked a plush hedgehog, which Aya was voicing while standing behind it like a puppet minister.
"I do," Juliet said solemnly.
"Do you, Juliet of the Couch Kingdom, promise to always share snacks, take turns, and protect Aya from meanie teachers and haunted playgrounds?"
"I do!"
"Then by the power of crayons and fairy dust," the hedgehog said, "you may do your special sparkle handshake."
Aya and Juliet performed a chaotic series of claps, spins, and pokes that ended in them both falling over laughing.
Mimi and Itsuki clapped politely from the doorway.
Aya looked up at them. "We didn't kiss! We did the handshake."
"Good," Itsuki said, her voice cracking a little.
"We made a new rule," Juliet added. "Kisses are for after nap time and age six."
Mimi gave her a thumbs-up. "Strong plan."
After Juliet went home, Aya curled up on the couch between her moms, clearly worn out from the day's royal duties. She dozed off in the middle of her second juice box.
Mimi watched her sleeping and sighed. "She's growing up too fast."
"She's still small," Itsuki replied. "But yeah. We're officially in the phase where kissing, love, and weddings exist in her universe."
"She saw us kiss once and decided to try it like it was a science experiment."
Itsuki shook her head. "We're going to need a better strategy soon. For the bigger talks."
"I'll book a therapist and a bodyguard."
"You handle the therapy. I'll get the bodyguard."
They both laughed softly, then leaned back and watched their daughter snore softly, one glittery sock hanging off her foot.
She still had frosting in her hair.