♗:Your muse falling asleep with their head in my muse's lap.
Today is worth celebrating. Samuel had walked – although his father pointed out it was more of a waddle – across an entire room on his own in the morning. Most preschoolers had mastered walking on two legs, but Sam was an exception.
He’d been strapped into braces around his knees and back, then stuffed into special shoes to keep his balance. Unless someone devised a way to switch skeletons, that was the most that could be done for the boy. Their family’s private doctor had never seen a case quite like Samuel’s. Then again, the doctor never had little boys with horns and claws visit him before. There was fancy terminology for the odd bends his patient’s bones, but he hadn’t wanted to bore the five-year old to sleep. He explained it all as simply as possible: “It looks like your bones wanted you on four legs, but changed their mind halfway there. But don’t worry, you’re a growing boy! These braces will have you right as rain, playing with the other boys on the playground in no time.”
Samuel huffs and puffs as he teetered into the playroom. Every few steps threatened to throw him over. It wasn’t easy acquiring a new sense of balance after a childhood shuffling on his hands and knees. There’s a nasty lump on his forehead from when he’d crashed head-first into the dinner table. “I feel like the Tin Man,” he whines. “How long do I have to wear these dumb things? They’re stupid!”
He waddles towards Maxine, feeling like one of his baby brothers whom were just learning to walk. They didn’t end up with weird skeletons! It was totally unfair. Samuel’s movements are stiff as he picks up speed, wanting to reach his best friend faster.
His brain signals his nerves to: “Hold up Speed Racer, that’s enough progress for one day!” One misplaced step, and Samuel feels himself tipping backwards. His eyes widen, his arms pinwheel, and gasps. It doesn’t do him any good; his butt hits the floor and he feels tears welling in his eyes. At least his mom had been smart enough to see some foam padding into the back of his pants, so at least his rump wouldn’t turn into a singular, purple bruise. She’s also stuck a helmet on him and knee pads on his elbows, just in case. “I f-f-feel like a baby,” he says, his lips wobbling. “A big baby who can’t walk.” The whole situation is ridiculous, and Samuel cries until he’s red in the face.
The motherly instinct is strong in Maxine’s body, even at such a young age. She takes a scarf from the dress-up container, then uses it to dry Samuel’s eyes and wipe his nose. It’s Maxine who hoists him up, takes him by the hand, and leads him towards the windows. As frustrated as he is, Samuel joins her seated on the floor without complaint. The warm, afternoon sunlight streaming through the glass is just what Samuel needs to soothe himself. He unclips the buckle on his helmet, and feels fresh air tickling the roots of his hair. His short, brown locks are matted against his skull in epic helmet hair.
Before he knows it, his playmate combs the tangle out of his hair. The brushing gives his hair a slight bounce, but definitely couldn’t change the shape it’s been trapped in all morning. He leans back. He leans further back. He leans so far back, that his head now rests upon Maxine’s lap as she combs his hair. “I’m trying really, really hard,” he mumbles. “I want to play with you soon…run around after you instead of crawling around or…having Mrs Potts hold my hand.”
The preschooler’s long eyelashes flutter in an attempt to keep him awake. It’s no use. Between the soothing tickle of a plastic comb and Maxine’s gentle humming, he’d be out cold in no time. “I’ll follow you around like those baby ducklings at the park,” he murmurs. “I won’t have to sit on a dumb picnic blanket and just watch.” His words get less and less comprehensible as his eyes ease shut. “I can’t wait to play with you,” he says. Samuel pops a thumb into his mouth, turns into his side, and falls fast asleep.
He dreams of running fast and free, trailing after his elder sister on the playground. Maybe, he could play on the monkey bars once he caught up to her. He’s always wanted to try them.
