Tiny A Tong was having a very emotional morning. He had been sitting quietly for a few moments, but suddenly his expression changed. His little eyes became watery, his lower lip trembled, and then he let out a surprisingly loud cry.
“Eeeee! Eeeee!”
Mommy immediately looked toward him.
“What happened, my little A Tong?”
A Tong stretched both arms toward her. He didn’t want a toy, food, or anything else. He wanted Mommy’s attention. More specifically, he wanted to get close to Mommy’s face.
Mommy leaned down beside him, and A Tong became even more dramatic. He reached up with both tiny hands, trying to touch her cheeks while crying loudly.
“Eeeeeaaah!”
“Oh, you want Mommy?” she asked softly.
A Tong answered with another emotional cry.
He wrapped his little arms around Mommy as soon as she came close enough, pressing his face against her cheek. His tears were still visible, but his crying began to soften once he felt her familiar warmth.
Mommy gently held him and stroked his back.
“There you go, sweetheart. Mommy is right here.”
A Tong wasn’t ready to let go.
He hugged her face again with his tiny arms and made several little whimpering sounds. Every time Mommy tried to move slightly, he pulled himself closer, as if he wanted to make absolutely certain she wasn’t going anywhere.
“You really needed a Mommy hug today, didn’t you?” she whispered.
A Tong gave a tiny squeak.
His dramatic crying slowly turned into quiet sniffles. Mommy stayed close and allowed him to calm down at his own pace, making sure both of them were comfortable and that A Tong wasn’t placed in an unsafe position.
After a few minutes, his tears began to disappear.
A Tong looked into Mommy’s eyes.
Mommy smiled.
“Feeling better now?”
A Tong gently touched her cheek with one tiny hand.
Then he rested his head against her.
The huge tantrum was finally over.
Mommy continued cuddling him while A Tong became increasingly sleepy. His little arms remained loosely around her, and his breathing became calm and peaceful.
The morning had started with loud cries and a very dramatic demand for Mommy’s attention, but A Tong had eventually found exactly what he wanted: a safe, comforting cuddle with the person he trusted.
Mommy kissed the top of his head.
“My sweet little A Tong.”
A Tong gave one final sleepy squeak and closed his eyes, still holding onto Mommy’s face as if he never wanted to let her go.
