The moment had already gone on too long for A Tong.
He sat there, his tiny body tense, eyes searching again and again for the one person he needed most. Every second stretched, feeling bigger than it really was.
Where was Mom?
His lips trembled.
Then—he cried.
“Ahhh! Ahhh!”
His voice burst out loudly, filled with frustration and hurt. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he waved his small hands, his body shaking with emotion. To him, it wasn’t just waiting—
It felt like being forgotten.
He looked toward the doorway again, calling out between sobs. “Ma! Ma!” His voice cracked, desperate and demanding at the same time.
He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t there sooner.
Why he had to wait.
His cries echoed louder, sharper, as if blaming the empty space around him. He kicked lightly, his face red with anger and sadness all mixed together.
Then—
Footsteps.
Quick.
Familiar.
The moment Mom appeared, A Tong didn’t calm down.
He cried even louder.
His tiny body leaned forward, reaching out as if to say, Where were you?
“I’m here, A Tong!” she said, rushing over, her voice full of concern.
She lifted him gently, holding him close.
But he was still upset.
He clung tightly, crying into her shoulder, releasing everything he had been holding inside—the waiting, the worry, the loneliness.
“I’m sorry… I’m here now,” she whispered, rocking him softly.
Slowly, his cries softened into shaky sobs.
His body relaxed just a little.
Because sometimes, when love comes back too late for a little heart, the tears don’t stop right away—
They just need a moment to be held until everything feels right again.
