TNN ONESHOTS

Accidents happen - SS & VC & J

Siobhan rushed into the living room, her heart racing. She was busy in the kitchen when she heard a loud thud followed by crying. As she found Jamie sitting on the floor, tears streamed down his cheeks. He had fallen while trying to climb onto the couch, and the sight of his scraped knee made her stomach drop. She hated seeing people she loved in pain. It reminded her to much of her past. Vivian was kneeling beside him, her face pale and filled with worry.

“Oh, Jamie, sweetheart, are you okay?” Siobhan knelt down, gently lifting Jamie into her arms. He buried his face in her shoulder, still sobbing as she held him closer. He reached up and fiddled slightly with the locket that hung around her neck.

Vivian looked on, guilt washing over her. “This is all my fault. I should have been watching him more closely,” she murmured, her voice trembling. “If I hadn’t let him play by himself for just for that moment and actually looked after him like a mum should, he would be okay...” Vivian rambled as she stared blankly into the place in front of her. She fiddled with the rings on her finger as she spoke.

Siobhan turned to her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Vivian, it was an accident. Kids are curious, and they explore. You can’t blame yourself for that. He’s going to get bumps and bruises; it’s part of growing up, especially as a boy. All they want to do is climb and explore. As the siblings grew up, Reece always had more bumps and bruises than autumn, but then again, that could be a different story. How about Jamies friends,  they all have scars and bruises. It happens to them all. He's okay.”

Vivian shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “But I should have been there to stop him. What if it had been worse?”
Siobhan moved closer to Viv and hugged Jamie tighter, then reached out to take Vivian’s hand. “Look at him. He’s already starting to calm down. We’ll clean up his knee and get him a special plaster, and he’ll be back to playing in no time. You’re a wonderful mum. It’s okay to feel scared, but you can’t carry this weight alone. He really is okay.”

As they cleaned Jamie’s knee together, Siobhan kept talking, sharing stories of her own childhood spills and scrapes before everything took a turn. "Bonnie, can i have a space plaster, please?" He asked quietly as he watched his mum and step mum closely. Siobhan smiled at him before picking up  the plaster. "I've already got it ready. It was like i knew you were going to say that. You are just like your uncle Reecey. He loves space as well." Siobhan explained, and slowly, Vivian began to smile, realizing that every parent faces these moments. Together, they wrapped Jamie in comfort, and with a few kisses and cuddles, he was soon giggling again, blissfully unaware of the worries that had just gripped his parents.

"Bon bon, thank you for being so good with him. He loves you so much, i really dont think you will ever realise how much that little boy looks up to you." Vivian whispered softly while holding Siobhan close to her chest.

In that moment, Siobhan and Vivian understood that parenting was a journey filled with ups and downs, but they would always have each other to lean on through the challenges.