A heartfelt connection: The emotional bond between my mom and niece

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I believe love unveils itself in unexpected ways.
It was a Sunday and we— my mom, niece and I had gone to church early in the morning. My mom was a strict Christian parent, unlike my dad who stayed at home on Sundays and watched TV.
I had returned for the weekend to spend Easter with my family. My brother and my sisters didn't return from school so it was only my mom, dad, my niece, and I that were at home.

We reached the church and my mom carried my one-year-old niece to the children's section where she was a children's Sunday school teacher while I went to the main church where other teenagers stayed.

I hadn't eaten that morning and was already feeling hungry before the service even went halfway, I squeezed my stomach with my hand as I remembered my mom telling me to eat in the morning before we left for church.
I went to my mom to get some money from her so I could get some snacks regardless hearing her clearly as she said back in the morning before we left for church "Make sure you eat, there is bread and tea or you can eat rice or anything. Just know that I would not buy anything for you when we are in church."

I was already used to the warning, it was like a normal Sunday routine— she would warn me, I would either forget or promise that I wouldn't get hungry and my mom would end up getting me snacks in church. Most of the time she was even the one to ask me if I was hungry yet and buy meat pie for me.
I reached the children's department and my niece Ruona became excited the moment she saw me, it was just two days I had spent with her but she was already fond of me, and I became her playmate.

I met my mom and told her I was hungry and she gave me some money. Just as I was about to leave Ruona cried after me, my mom then carried her but it just became worse as she fought her way out of my mom's arms.
"Carry her and go, because as she has seen you her playmate now she has forgotten me," my mom said as she playfully acted angry and dropped ruona and the other teacher who was there with us laughed. Ruona held my hand and smiled at my mom as she waved and we walked away from the children's department to the main church building.

The service was over and I went over with Ruona to the children's department to meet my mom. She was ready to go and was talking with her friend. Just when we stepped out of the children's department building my mom stopped abruptly,
"wait I think something just bit me," my mom said as used her left hand which was free from ruonas load to stretch to her shoulder.
"What is it?" I asked as I looked to her shoulder if I could spot anything there while carrying Ruona.
"I don't know maybe it has flown away," my mom said.
"maybe it was an ant, " her friend who was with us said.

It wasn't even up to three steps taken after my mom ignored it that it bit her again. But this time it was more painful that my mom shouted "Jesus" and dropped everything she was holding and grabbed the place in her shoulder where she was bitten. My niece Ruona who I was carrying immediately jerked and almost jumped out of my hands and started crying as she struggled and stretched her hands reaching for my mom.

My mom had to go back into the empty toddler Sunday school class and make sure the insect was no longer in her dress. She spent some seconds and then she came out.
"Oh my God, the bite from that insect almost killed me," my mom said as she came out of the class.
"Did you see it," her friend asked.
"Yes I did, it was already dead and fell out, probably died as I pressed and held it the second time it bit me," my mom answered her.
All this while Ruona was still crying and finally stopped when my mom carried her. My mom told me it wasn't the first time ruona acted like that. She said she noticed that anytime she was in pain or was like she was sad and about to cry, like when she hit her leg against something, ruona would also follow her and start crying seriously.

Throughout that day, I felt deeply moved by the incident. The connection and love that my niece had grown for my mom was truly amazing.
It was like she felt the pain my mom felt because of the love they had, and witnessing it firsthand left me feeling profoundly touched in my spirit.

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