[OTC] Acting Out
[Set in justtostayalive. Sam is likely_evil.]
“Let him be, Sam.”
Sam gave her a bit of a look, wondering if this was something they should be letting their five month-old son do on his own. Michael let out another frustrated wail as landed back on his back again, his legs kicking and flailing, before he started to push himself over again, trying to roll over onto his stomach. Bela placed a hand against Sam’s chest, pushing him back against the couch and trying to get him to stay put.
“He needs to do this on his own.”
He’d been going at this for over ten minutes, lying back on one of the blankets on the floor, and Sam and Bela were watching from a safe distance. Initially he had just been playing with the toys laid out for him, but eventually one managed to skitter out of his reach. The only way he was going to be able to grab it was if he managed to roll over onto his stomach. It was something he’d been working on for a while now, and managed to do it a few times on his own, but this time he was having a bit of trouble trying to get onto his stomach.
Sam leaned back. “He can’t get his arm out from under him.”
“He’ll figure it out.”
“Maybe we could just-” He was cut off by both a look from her, and another frustrated wail from their son. Bela wasn’t completely heartless-but it’d been five months now. She knew the difference between when Michael was trying to voice what he was feeling, and when he was crying because he needed something. This was the former, and she knew that either he would give up, or finally manage to work his way through it. She just settled in next to Sam again, who she knew was watching Michael carefully, just relaxing against him and occasionally glancing at her son out of the corner of her eye while she read her book.
Michael squirmed back onto his back again, shifting back and forth a bit, before giving a bit of a grunt and a shriek as he pushed himself onto his side again. This time, he managed to get his elbow just far enough out from under him that it sent him sprawling onto his stomach, just in reach of the toy. As soon as he landed, he let out a pleased shriek, kicking and flailing against the floor to show how happy he was with the change in position. Bela smiled slightly at that, before looking up at Sam.
“Told you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed slightly. “Don’t rub it in.”
Bela smiled slightly before going back to the book, and Sam gave Michael a grin as he looked up shaking the toy in his hand and twisting his upper body so that he was facing his parents more. Sam was saying something encouraging over his shoulder, but Bela was the one who noticed when his balance started to falter, having tilted a bit too far back in the opposite direction. His weight tipped, and he fell back onto his back again. He seemed a little disoriented at first, before his eyes pinched closed and he started to cry, and this time, it was a clear call for someone to pay attention to him.
Sam looked back at his wife, before raising an eyebrow. “Now, can I help him?”
“Yes,” she laughed, sitting up so he could move. “Yes, now go.”
“That’s what I thought.”
587 words
“Let him be, Sam.”
Sam gave her a bit of a look, wondering if this was something they should be letting their five month-old son do on his own. Michael let out another frustrated wail as landed back on his back again, his legs kicking and flailing, before he started to push himself over again, trying to roll over onto his stomach. Bela placed a hand against Sam’s chest, pushing him back against the couch and trying to get him to stay put.
“He needs to do this on his own.”
He’d been going at this for over ten minutes, lying back on one of the blankets on the floor, and Sam and Bela were watching from a safe distance. Initially he had just been playing with the toys laid out for him, but eventually one managed to skitter out of his reach. The only way he was going to be able to grab it was if he managed to roll over onto his stomach. It was something he’d been working on for a while now, and managed to do it a few times on his own, but this time he was having a bit of trouble trying to get onto his stomach.
Sam leaned back. “He can’t get his arm out from under him.”
“He’ll figure it out.”
“Maybe we could just-” He was cut off by both a look from her, and another frustrated wail from their son. Bela wasn’t completely heartless-but it’d been five months now. She knew the difference between when Michael was trying to voice what he was feeling, and when he was crying because he needed something. This was the former, and she knew that either he would give up, or finally manage to work his way through it. She just settled in next to Sam again, who she knew was watching Michael carefully, just relaxing against him and occasionally glancing at her son out of the corner of her eye while she read her book.
Michael squirmed back onto his back again, shifting back and forth a bit, before giving a bit of a grunt and a shriek as he pushed himself onto his side again. This time, he managed to get his elbow just far enough out from under him that it sent him sprawling onto his stomach, just in reach of the toy. As soon as he landed, he let out a pleased shriek, kicking and flailing against the floor to show how happy he was with the change in position. Bela smiled slightly at that, before looking up at Sam.
“Told you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed slightly. “Don’t rub it in.”
Bela smiled slightly before going back to the book, and Sam gave Michael a grin as he looked up shaking the toy in his hand and twisting his upper body so that he was facing his parents more. Sam was saying something encouraging over his shoulder, but Bela was the one who noticed when his balance started to falter, having tilted a bit too far back in the opposite direction. His weight tipped, and he fell back onto his back again. He seemed a little disoriented at first, before his eyes pinched closed and he started to cry, and this time, it was a clear call for someone to pay attention to him.
Sam looked back at his wife, before raising an eyebrow. “Now, can I help him?”
“Yes,” she laughed, sitting up so he could move. “Yes, now go.”
“That’s what I thought.”
587 words