Abandoned

35

The hospital room was quiet, filled with the soft hum of monitors and the golden glow of late afternoon sun filtering through the blinds. Sienna sat on the rug near the window, her tiny fingers fumbling with a stack of colourful plastic cups.

Zareya sat nearby, watching fondly as her daughter focused with furrowed brows, stacking cup after cup. Sienna's tongue peeked out in concentration—until, with a sudden wobble, the entire tower toppled to the floor.

The crash startled her. For a split second, her bottom lip wobbled like she might cry.

But Zareya leaned forward and said gently, "Uh oh!"

Sienna blinked up at her, eyes wide.

Zareya repeated it again with a playful grin. "Uh oh!"

A tiny smile crept onto Sienna's face.

She looked down at the mess of cups, then back at her mama, and her lips parted carefully.

"Uh... ooo," she whispered.

Zareya gasped with delight. "Yes, baby! That's it! Uh oh!"

Sienna's grin widened, her eyes sparkling with pride. "Uh... oh!"

"Perfect!" Zareya scooped her up, nuzzling her cheek. "My clever, clever girl."

Sienna giggled, the sound bright and free. And when she knocked the cups over again—this time on purpose—she looked at Zareya, her eyes shining with mischief.

"Uh oh!" she said, a little louder this time.

Zareya laughed. "Now you're just showing off."

And in that little room filled with sunlight and laughter, "uh oh" became a brand-new kind of magic.

Later that evening, the hospital room had quieted down. Sienna was nestled in a mountain of soft blankets on her bed, her elephant plush tucked under one arm. Zareya sat beside her with a book in her lap, softly reading the familiar bedtime story Sienna had come to love.

Halfway through the story, Sienna reached for her sippy cup on the tray beside her—but her fingers missed. The cup tipped, rolled, and hit the floor with a soft thud. Milk began to spill across the tiles in a slow, spreading puddle.

Sienna's eyes widened. She glanced at the mess, then quickly at Zareya. Her breath hitched like she might panic, her body going tense.

But before Zareya could say anything, Sienna looked down again, then quietly said, "Uh oh..."

It was soft. Almost unsure. But it was her own words, her own understanding.

Zareya's heart melted.

"Uh oh is right," she said gently, reaching for a towel. "That's okay, baby. Accidents happen."

Sienna watched as Zareya cleaned it up, her shoulders relaxing.

"You told me, didn't you?" Zareya smiled, returning to the bed to kiss her forehead. "Good girl for using your words."

Sienna tucked back into the blankets, her elephant plush cradled to her chest. She whispered it again with a sleepy giggle: "Uh oh..."

Zareya chuckled and brushed her hair back. "You're getting so smart."

As the room dimmed and the stars outside began to twinkle, Sienna drifted off, safe and calm, with her new favorite word on her lips .

The night passed peacefully, and for the first time in a long time, Zareya didn't wake to the sound of monitors alarming or Sienna crying out. Instead, she was roused just after dawn by a soft rustling from the bed.