Another assignment from my online descriptive writing class. Unedited again.
Drunken Sailor Walking
Faith twists to the green chair and reaches her hands to hinge onto its seat. Squaring her feet on either side of her hips, she unbends her legs to standing. Her neck pivots to see my reaction. I smile. She is encouraged and turns toward me, freeing her hands from their grip on the chair. Barely navigating the landmines of toys, she makes her way across the rug toward me. She learned to walk two weeks ago, and she swerves like a drunken sailor. Her gaze is on me, not the floor, and she doesn’t pay attention when she reaches the end of the rug and starts on the polished wood floors. I pay attention. She’s wearing socks: pink and cuffed above the ankle. From drunken sailor to uncertain ice skater, I know she is going to fall. She is four steps off the carpet when it happens. She lands on her left side, and her head hits the rug. She looks at me, waits for my reaction to decide whether or not she should cry. I turn away; if she hasn’t cried yet, she’s fine. But I held eye contact too long, and she registered concern in it. Stilted at first, she finds a full wail after a moment. I kneel next to her and pull her into my arms. Silence is instant. I pull off her socks and stand her on the floor again. She falls forward into me. That’s just about enough walking for tonight, her sleepy sigh and heavy head say.
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