The next day came along and Anne, Charlie and Polly out and about to do some Muay Thai. Sprig and Ivy were bonding outdoors by going glitter bug hunting. Polly was showing she was eager to get into the real action but Anne proven to be having more experience than Polly, even Charlie himself.
Anne was showing to be quite a worthy opponent when sparring with Polly but when ever Polly was sparring with Charlie. Charlie seemed to show he was more experienced, possibly more experienced than Anne.
When ever Polly tried making the first move. Anne and Charlie were fast on the move and blocked her attack. She was surprised but Anne explained to her how she was too eager and that she needs to have patience and heart judging from what she said her instructor told her.
"I wonder which one of you has more experience in Muay Thai?" asked Polly.
"Possibly Anne. I've been taught for five years. From what Anne said about her mother noticing how high spirited she is. Sounds like Anne has been practicing more." answered Charlie.
"But you look like you got more experience." said Anne feeling skeptical.
"My uncle's training was just tougher. But the ladies of the house warned him not to give me a hard time." Charlie stated.
While Anne and Charlie were distracted. Polly charged at them but they dodged her while she went through some slightly tall grass area but a loud thud and sounded like someone uttered the word "Ouch!" which that's when they saw Wally coming out from the grass, carrying Polly over.
"Wally, how long have you been there?" asked Anne curiously.
"Uh... totally wasn't watching. Nothing creepy going on here." said Wally in denial. "Say, that looks like fun. Mind if I give it a try?"
"Ha. You? Good luck, Wallers." Polly doubted.
Wally walked over to the two humans and Polly was caught off guard by Wally sparring with Anne and the two were showing to be quite experienced in Muay Thai. Anne and Wally would deflect and block each others moves while they were dodging a few of their moves as well.
"Wow! Wally could give Jackie a run for his money." said Charlie surprised.
"No doubt. Holy cow, Wally. You're pretty good at this. You see this right here, Polly? This is what you should be doing." Anne told Polly.
Polly crossed her arms and groaned in annoyance. After Anne and Wally stopped sparring. That's when Wally started sparring with Charlie but as Charlie knew he had been faster, and dodged Wally's moves and attacks, he also blocked and deflected Wally's moves while Wally did the same when blocking and deflecting Charlie's moves.
"Wally, you're definitely more than Muay Thai material. Forget the Karate Kid. Make room for the Karate Frog." said Charlie looking thrilled.
After they stopped. Both of them shook hands as they were both quite well versed in the different style of martial arts. Wally went to sit down on the nearby log like seat while Anne and Charlie would take turns in teaching Polly Muay Thai but Polly was showing to be too eager but she was starting to get annoyed when she was having very little success at catching onto how to battle the opponent in a Muay Thai sparring match.
Hours passed and Ivy was starting to get annoyed with her mother's strict rules around the house with her tea lessons and after she lost her temper and confined herself to her room. She thought about what to do for a bit and decided to run off. She went over to Sprig's house and got his attention She convinced him to come with her to leave the valley and be free.
Sprig was hesitant as he knew this was a bad idea but went with her in hopes to talk her out of it. Felicia followed them when using her megaphones that looked like bees were not working in getting Ivy to comply. She followed them to where Anne, Charlie, Wally and Polly were still practicing Muay still wasn't getting closer to learning how to be more patient when it comes to Muay Thai.
Sprig and Ivy bumped into Anne but Charlie held onto her to prevent her from falling. Sprig and Ivy apologized for bumping into Anne. This made Polly go flying out of Anne's hands but Felicia caught her and set her down near the kids.
Ivy and her mother started arguing about what's been conflicting them as Ivy was tired of her mother's strict rules while Felicia was tired of her disobedience. Charlie felt like he should step in and defuse the situation but Anne advised him not to.
"I can't believe I have raised such an ungrateful and disrespectful daughter!" Felicia spat.
"Oh, yeah? Well, then, maybe I don't even wanna be your daughter!" Ivy shot back.
Ivy clapped her hands to her mouth in regret while everyone gasped in horror. Felicia was visibly shaken by Ivy's words. The two know they love each other but they sensed this had something to do with Ivy growing up. Ivy apologized to her mother immediately and stated how she wants to see the world, get her hands dirty from time to time, even learn martial arts.
"Does this remind you guys of anything?" Charlie whispered to Anne, Wally and Sprig.
"The events in Ribbitvale?" they whispered to him.
Felicia complied and told her daughter if she beats her once in a martial arts match than she doesn't have to take tea lessons. She admitted there will be three rounds and she has to defeat her once. Ivy was skeptical about her mother defeating her in a martial arts match.
"Should we say or do something before they hurt each other and possibly end up hating each other forever?" Anne advised.
"I don't think we should unless we really have to. It may have worked in Ribbitvale but this is between mother and daughter." Charlie told them. "But in case anything goes south. Than we'll step in."
As they sat and watched. Felicia and Ivy began sparring but were shocked to see that Felicia was faster, smarter and more experienced than Ivy in martial arts. Even Ivy wasn't expecting this. Felicia wouldn't hit or punch her but she would gently tap her with one finger on her cheek.
"Whoa. Where'd you learn those moves?" asked Anne wide eyed.
"Oh, picked them up on my travels." answered Felicia.
"Travels? What travels?" said Ivy annoyed.
Felicia had won the first two rounds but when it looked like Ivy was about to be defeated in the last round. Her mother pinned her. Felicia started to instruct Ivy on what to do which she wasn't expecting.
"Fold the swan napkin." instructed Felicia.
Ivy was confused at first but waved her hands and arms in a rapid motion which helped her get out of Felicia's grip. Both of them got up and Ivy was free.
They started to try and land a few moves on each other but her mother instructed Ivy to do something else that lead to more of Ivy learning an unexpected martial arts move.
"Now sift the tea." Felicia instructed.
They blocked each others moves more and more, getting faster while the others looked on in wide eyed, jaw dropping shock but Charlie was the only one who remained stoic. That's when the two had grabbed onto each others hands, trying to push the other to the ground.
"Now, Ivy, change the tablecloth." instructed Felicia.
They watched Ivy suddenly summon all of her strength and she lifted her mother into the air and spun her around like they were a living tornado. Everyone but Charlie gasped.
"Miyagi's got nothing on her." Charlie thought to himself.
Ivy eventually stopped and her mother had landed on her back on the soft ground without any damages done to her. Ivy was surprised. She ran over to her mother who let her know she's completely alright but her mother let her tag her which Ivy poked her finger on her mother's lips. Did Felicia let her daughter win? On purpose?
Anne, Charlie, Sprig and Polly cheered for Ivy and her victory. Ivy was in surprised amazement and wanted to know where her mother learned martial arts which her mother revealed to her that she too was an adventurer back her day and told Ivy how did she think she exotic tea selections or how she got her frog china set from.
Ivy expressed how she had no knowledge of this the whole time since her mother hasn't talked to her about her past all the much. Felicia explained to Ivy that even though she thinks she doesn't see or hear her but she expressed that she does, she understood Ivy wants to travel the world one day but reminded her that she had to be patient as there are some dangers out there and wanted her to be ready for when she does go out into the world to explore.
Since Ivy knew that there have been some times when both her, her mother, Sprig, Anne, Charlie and the Plantars have experienced their fair share of dangers together. She understood that her mother was right, there are some dangers out there.
That's when Felicia explained to Ivy that all these exercises she had her doing was to prepare her for not just for the world but also for when she takes her on her next tea-gathering adventure. Ivy gasped and expressed how her mother is the best mother.
The two embraced each other and Ivy was showing to be impressed that her mother was an adventurer and she had no idea. Which Felicia expressed that was how she met her father. Ivy expressed her annoyance about that but she wasn't bothered by that too much.
They all suddenly heard a deep and heavy breathing that almost sounded like a wounded dog. They all turned to see that Charlie had shed a few tears from the sight of Felicia and Ivy working out a problem they've been having an issue with. Anne placed an arm around him as she knew why he was tearing up.
"Oh mom. I think we touched someone by reconciling." said Ivy looking adored by this.
"I'm alright." Charlie lied. "It's just that seeing this reminded me of back at home with one of the ladies of the house."
"Was it Imani?" asked Ivy.
"When them six other women of the house moved in with me, my mom and my aunt. I wasn't used to being in a house full of women. I was constantly running from them at times, being pulled into firm gripped hugs, a barrage of kisses to the face, the cheek pinching, and in Kagura's case, the playful tickling just to make me laugh. There was the day that I grew comfortable being in a house full of women to where I wasn't bothered by all of the above displays of affections. Seeing how Felicia and her daughter Ivy reconciling just brought back the memory of that day I grew comfortable about being in a house full of women." Charlie explained while blushing and wiping a tear away.
Felicia and Ivy were silent for a moment but smiled and figured that Charlie was moved by how they reconciled their differences or their current problem they faced.
"Oh!" said Felicia and Ivy understanding.
"Also, Felicia sort of looks like one of the ladies of the house. Mabel was also a red head and she sometimes styled her hair like yours." Charlie admitted blushing deeper.
Ivy looked at her mother and was looking at her hair. Seeing how long, thick and beautiful it looked but was imagining seeing a human female like Anne having hair long enough to braid it. Felicia chuckled with a grin as she knew this was a compliment. Charlie pulled out his phone and shown Felicia and Ivy a picture of his mother, his aunt and the six other women of the house that he mentioned. The two of them were wide eyed at how beautiful the eight young adult women looked and that Mabel actually shown to have red hair like Felicia and Ivy.
"Whoa! They're all so beautiful!" said Felicia.
"I take it the one with red hair is Mabel." Ivy guessed the truth.
"That she is." chuckled Charlie. "I hope I wasn't invading on you two earlier because I see you two were having a mother and daughter moment. But seeing you two reconcile just had me get a little emotional."
"Oh no, young man. You're not invading on anyone. Everyone has good reasons to get emotional. Sometimes when Ivy was little and she was showing some cute moments. Some other men and women got emotional but probably because their kids were all grown up and they missed the days their kids were little. It's perfectly normal." Felicia reassured. "I can imagine how cute Anne probably was when she was baby."
"Oh Felicia." said Anne and Charlie in unison.
"Oh mom." said Ivy.
For moment, Anne and Charlie glanced and Polly wasn't anywhere near them.
"Has anyone seen Polly?" asked Anne.
"Gotcha!" cried Polly.
Polly came charging in like a cannon ball and both Anne, Charlie and Sprig ducked down and Polly ended up punching Wally by mistake. It sent him to the ground out cold. They all looked on in surprise.
"That was technically your fault." said Polly.
"Polly, was Anne the one that sucker punched Wally?" said Charlie sternly.
"No." answered Polly.
"Eh, there's a good chance he won't remember this." stated Anne.
Charlie got up and walked over to tend to Wally as he carried him up.
"I'm going to tend to Wally." said Charlie.
"I'm in big trouble, aren't I?" asked Polly.
"The only thing you'll be doing is apologizing to him." said Charlie kindly.
"Sounds fair." replied Polly.