Alex stood near the edge of the water, his tiny body swaying as curiosity pulled him closer. The surface shimmered, moving gently, calling to him without mercy. He didn’t understand danger. He only saw something new, something interesting. Behind him, his mother was distracted, her attention drifting away for just a moment that would almost change everything.
Alex leaned forward, his small feet slipping on the wet ground. His heart raced as balance left him. One more step, one small mistake, and the cold water waited below. His eyes widened in fear as his arms flailed helplessly. He cried out, a sharp, panicked sound filled with terror.
That cry shattered the moment.
His mother turned too late to stop the slip, but just in time to see the truth. Negligence doesn’t always mean cruelty. Sometimes it means looking away for seconds that feel harmless. But those seconds almost took Alex forever.
Alex’s body tilted forward, his weight pulling him down. His tiny hands scraped the edge, claws gripping desperately. Water splashed against his face. He screamed again, louder, soaked with fear. The cold shocked his skin, and panic froze his breath.
His mother ran.
Her heart stopped as she lunged forward, grabbing Alex just as his body dipped deeper. She pulled him back with all her strength, holding him tightly against her chest. Alex cried uncontrollably, shaking, clinging to her as if the world had nearly swallowed him whole.
His small body trembled violently. Fear lingered in his eyes, even after the danger passed. He buried his face into her, sobbing, trying to forget the terror of falling. His mother held him, tears streaming down her own face, guilt crushing her chest.
She whispered apologies again and again, rocking him, promising never to look away like that again. Alex slowly calmed, his cries turning into broken whimpers. But the memory stayed.
That day was a warning written in fear.
Love alone is not enough without attention. Alex survived, but it could have ended differently. Sometimes, being “almost” is already too close.
