You kneel before she can see the hesitation in your face.
The first thing that hits you is how carefully she studies you. Not just a child greeting her mother, but a small person taking inventory of tone, smell, mood, danger. When she wraps her arms around your neck, you understand with sudden fury that a three-year-old should never hug like someone checking whether today is safe.
“Yes, baby,” you whisper.
She pulls back and frowns.
“You sound weird.”
You almost smile.
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