Amanda smiled and looked down at Emi. The toddler wiggled her toes, giggling at the sensation of the sand beneath her feet. Ghost bounded ahead of them, his white fur blowing in the gentle sea breeze. “Ghost wun!” Emi remarked, tugging on her parents’ hands so she could be free to run as well. Amanda and Niels exchanged glances before they warned her not to stray too far.
The closer they got to the dock, the more anxious Amanda became. Most of the time, when they took Emi to daycare, Emi put up quite a fuss. Today, they would attempt to leave her with grandma and grandpa for a short boat trip. Amanda could already imagine how Emi would react when she realised mummy and daddy weren't coming along. As they neared the boat, Niels called out to Emi and she obediently came running, Ghost at her side. They were warmly welcomed onto their parents’ boat. Emi was instantaneously fascinated with her little aunt Aubrey, who sat perched on Rosa’s lap. Meanwhile, Niels chatted with his father. Amanda made sure that Emi was settled. She knelt to her toddler’s level and told her, “Mummy and daddy will be right at grandma and grandpa’s house waiting for you, okay? But we want you to have lots of fun.” “Oki,” Emi replied. Her focus remained on Aubrey. Amanda smiled and gave her baby sister some attention as well before she prepared to console her child. She knew at any second, Emi would have a meltdown. For a moment, Amanda hesitated to move, but then she felt Niels take her by the arm. "She's fine," he said. "Bye mama, bye dada," said Emi, waving. For a moment, Amanda felt like crying. She'd expected a tantrum or two, but instead, this separation was harder for her than it was for her little girl. It was actually a pleasant surprise how the tables had turned. As she and Niels stood ashore, Amanda waved. "Have a good trip!" "Have a good twip!" Emi replied.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Amanda at a GlanceNames: Amanda Pontremoli, Amanda van Loon Archives
August 2017
Categories |