Betty's first moment of discontent towards Curtis happened when she was just a year old.
Leanne and Curtis took her to the clinic for her pneumococcal vaccination, a shot dreaded by children and parents alike.
As the months passed and Betty became more aware, she started to understand that the sharp needle meant pain. To her, the nurse wielding the syringe seemed like a terrifying monster. At the sight, Betty instinctively reached out for Curtis, seeking protection in her father's arms.
However, the man she looked up to, her mountain of safety, not only didn't whisk her away from the horror but instead gently held her arm for the nurse. At that moment, one-year-old Betty tasted the bitterness of betrayal amidst her shock and pain, and no amount of consoling could easily soothe her tears.
Leanne cradled her, whispering sweet nothings until Betty's sobs subsided. Her big, tearful eyes made her look utterly pitiful.
Trying to make amends, Curtis reached out to take her, but she promptly turned her face away, clinging tightly to Leanne as if her little life depended on it. Her entire being radiated resistance.
"Our little princess is scared of the shots," Curtis cooed, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, let me give you a hug."
Betty burrowed deeper into Leanne's embrace, adamantly refusing with a simple, "No!"
Curtis, facing his daughter's rejection for the first time, couldn't help but feel a mix of helplessness and amusement. "Such a strong will you have." Betty's stubbornness lasted the entire way home. Despite Curtis' attempts at reconciliation, she wouldn't budge, nursing her grievance against him.
Back home, Curtis tried to win her over with her favorite yogurt, but even that couldn't melt her resolve. With a pout, she accused, "Daddy... bad..." "Daddy's bad?" Curtis set aside the yogurt, lifted her into his lap, and tried to reason with her. "Well, then, tell me, how is Daddy bad?" Betty couldn't articulate her feelings.
"Can't say, can you?" Curtis concluded. "Well, Daddy's not bad."
"You calling Daddy bad, and not wanting a hug, that hurts Daddy's feelings. Does that make you the naughty one?"
Her lips quivered, unable to navigate through his logic.
Curtis playfully pinched her nose. "Ungrateful little troublemaker, say sorry to Daddy."
"Stop joking," Leanne intervened, taking back the almost-tearful toddler and explained gently, "Betty, do you know why we get shots?"
Gently touching the spot where the needle went in, she continued, "They give us superpowers, like superheroes, to protect us. When germs come, they help fight them off so you don't get sick. We do this because we want you to be healthy, okay?"
Betty, somewhat understanding, nodded.
"Can we not say Daddy is bad? He loves you very much," Leanne encouraged. "How about we make up with Daddy, okay?"
With teary eyes, Betty reached out to Curtis, who hugged her tightly and received a peck on the cheek.
Betty was a reasonable little girl. From then on, whenever it was time for a shot, all they had to say was that it was giving her superpowers, and she would brave it without a fuss, seeking comfort in her parents arms afterward.
Since Leanne moved to Cambridge, Joy made it a point to visit Emberland frequently.
"Kids forget easily. If I don't visit often, she'll forget me in a few months, and we can't have that!" As the godmother, Joy took her role seriously, determined to be the second most important woman in Betty's world.
Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report
