Toddlers

She wants to sleep in bed with him,
and smack him in his face with a train set.

He wants to pet her,
but his heavy hands rips through her curls
and her eyes leak the pain of betrayal.

Momma to the rescue.
We smack the hand of the traitor.
We say “Ow ow ow” when it hurts.
We say “No no no” because we hurt our loved one.
We say “I sawwy baby.”

Why did my one year old son
slap my two year old daughter in the face
while I was braiding her intricate coils,
a web of construction,
freeing her head of heat,
itch,
irritation.
Interrupted by a bomb.

When she boots him in the chest from my lap,
I don’t interfere when he falls.
He crawls up the couch,
sits beside us.
He rest his head on my leg.

She puts her hand on his hair.
“Hi beebee. Hiiii beeeebeeee.”

I will learn to forgive this way.