Caleb trailed me closely, ready to catch me if my emotions got the best of me and I stumbled.
Elena, feeling sheepish, quickly interjected before Jenifer could say anything.
âOops, sorry about that.
I tripped on the stairs and tumbled down.
Grandma panicked and hung up to check on me.
â
And that was the story.
I glanced down and saw Elenaâs knee wrapped in a torn piece of cloth, likely from Jeniferâs own clothes.
Still, despite the neat bandaging job, a bit of blood was seeping through Elenaâs knee.
Jenifer said apologetically, âIâm sorry, I shouldnât have taken the call while holding Elenaâs hand.
I didnât keep a close eye on her, and she got hurt.
â
Having raised kids myself, I understood Jeniferâs predicament.
Children at this age were full of energy and hard to keep up with, especially at night.
It was easy to miss something.
So, I quickly reassured her.
âItâs okay.
Itâs not your fault.
â
Caleb chimed in, âKids will be kids.
Running and getting bumps are part of growing up.
Donât blame yourself.
â
After sorting things out with Jenifer, I knelt down, my heart squeezing at the sight of blood trickling from the childâs wound.
The amount of blood suggested her injury might have been worse initially, or Jenifer wouldnât have ended the call so abruptly.
Looking at Elena, I softened my voice and asked, âSweetie, does it hurt?â
Elena shook her head, puffing her cheeks out.
She patted her chest proudly and said, âIâm tough! No pain can scare me!â
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Her adorable bravado made me smile, easing the tension in my chest.
I couldnât resist reaching out to stroke her head, praising her.
âYouâre incredible, Elena.
â
A grin lit up Calebâs face, as he lifted Elena, saying, âMy brave girl!â
As we praised Elena, Dylan sulked and pouted.
He came over and pulled on Calebâs shirt, saying earnestly, âDad, Mom, Iâm awesome too! When Elena fell, I rushed over and helped her up quicker than Grandma.
â
Seeing the kidsâ innocent faces, we all chuckled.
âYouâre right, Dylanâs pretty amazing too.
â
But then, out of the blue, something unexpected happened.
Debraâs POV: