A tender moment. And a milestone.

Little Kym and I hadn't been out together alone for some time, and yesterday, as I picked her up from a playdate+sleepover at her cousin's, she mentioned she wanted to have a burger (specifically, a McDonald's fillet-o-fish) and strawberry shake, and it had to be had in SGS Mall in Pune Camp only. So, off we went (first changing into the new kurta that Aji gave us, since 'Aji would be happy to see me in it'), found parking, and stood in line for our order. She wanted to know how her burger and shake is made, and we had a conversation about processes and why they are important as she watched the workers make her food efficiently and quickly. I too got myself a nice spicy peri-peri chicken burger, and we soon settled down at a vacant bench to eat, tucking into our respective burgers with gusto (it had been long since I'd had one too).

Then, something happened. An important milestone in growing up and in our relationship: She slid off her stool, picked up a napkin, reached out to my face, and gently wiped away a smudge of mayonnaise from my cheeks. Wordlessly. And then, went back to her food.

Oh my! She's grown up so quickly. And I am so proud.