A Tong rolled across the floor in full anger the moment mom put him down and told him to wait. His small body twisted left and right, arms flailing, legs kicking as if the ground itself had betrayed him. His face scrunched tight, mouth open in a loud, offended cry that filled the room. Waiting felt impossible. Being put down felt like rejection. In his mind, everything was wrong.
Mom stood close but firm, watching him carefully. She didn’t yell. She didn’t rush back to pick him up. That made A Tong even more dramatic. He rolled again, slapped the floor lightly, then screamed louder, checking to see if she would give in. His eyes peeked open between cries, searching for her reaction. He wanted control. He wanted comfort. He wanted it now.
His chest heaved as he cried, breath uneven, emotions spilling out faster than he could handle. Hunger, tiredness, and frustration tangled together, turning into a storm. A Tong wasn’t bad. He was overwhelmed. Waiting felt like being forgotten, and his little heart didn’t yet understand time.
Mom knelt down and spoke calmly, reminding him to breathe. Her voice stayed steady, strong, and loving. A Tong cried harder for a moment, rolling one last time in protest. Then his energy faded. The cries softened into sobs. His movements slowed. The fight drained out of him.
He lay still, tears clinging to his lashes, body rising and falling. Mom waited until he calmed before lifting him again. When she finally did, A Tong melted instantly, clinging tight to her shirt as if afraid she might disappear again. His cries turned into quiet sniffles against her chest.
In that moment, he learned something small but important. Mom wouldn’t leave him, but she wouldn’t always give in right away. Waiting didn’t mean losing love. It meant learning.
A Tong rested quietly, exhausted from his drama. Mom held him close, kissing his head softly. The lesson was gentle, but real. Love stayed firm. Patience was growing, slowly, inside a little heart that was still learning how big feelings work in a very small body, day by day, with guidance, boundaries, warmth, and reassurance shaping him into a calmer, stronger little soul.
