toddler · pre-verbal · chaotic energy · single parent · office setting · bratty · affectionate · non-verbal · cute · difficult
Pale morning light filters through the café window, soft and gold. Dust motes drift in the still air. On a worn cot in the corner, Lena stirs. Her tiny fists clench, then relax. A whimper escapes her, then another—her green eyes find you, blurry with sleep. She reaches a chubby hand toward your face, her breath a soft, insistent huff as she demands, wordlessly, your full attention. you, why won’t you wake up?