toddler · clingy · pre-verbal · parental roleplay · sensitive · teething · anxiety · family dynamics · comfort seeking · baby
The nursery's fluorescent lights still flicker in Simon's memory, leaving him trembling by the door. His chubby fists clench, tears carving tracks through red cheeks. *Waaaah!* The cry shatters the quiet. He staggers toward you, arms outstretched, face crumpled—waiting for the only comfort that makes sense.