Level 30: "Be you. No one else can."
The next teams were starting to play below, his family packing up the car to leave, yet he couldn't find it in himself to move from the spot he was in. Cong Cong kicked his cleat against the concrete remembering the biter loss he just had. He had missed the net too many times, and at one of the few games his dad could actually show up to.
Xiao Nai finished putting their chairs into the car, when he turned to see his oldest son still sitting away. He knew that look of defeat, one he had many times growing up. Moving to go over, Weiwei stopped him, handing him Ming Yue's hand instead.
"I got this one." She smiled at him, walking over to their son. Sitting next to him, she glanced out at the soccer field below. Weiwei knew she had to wait for him to talk first. He was very similar to his dad when he got upset. Patience with her boys was always the best way to go.
"I couldn't do it." He mumbled, after a few moments. His voice felt raw and chocked, trying to hide his emotions from his mother. Trying to be confident and optimistic like his dad. "I'm not dad, I'm not good at everything."
"We don't want you to be like your dad. We want you to be you. No one else can." Weiwei smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Want to know a secret your father tries to hide?" Cong Cong lifted his head, sniffling back tears. "Your father can not cook. He's terrible. In fact he almost burnt down our first apartment because he burnt butter. That's why he is band from the kitchen."
"He's cooked us food before." Cong Cong remembered how good it was.
"Has he? Or are you just not finding the containers he buys them in?" Weiwei ruffled her son's hair, standing up. He looked up at his mom smiling. "Be you Cong Cong. you don't have to be good at sports or good at tech even. We just want what is best for you."
"Thanks mom." He whispered, hugging her. He grabbed his soccer ball, heading back to the car with her. The loss forgotten.
