Chapter 16: First Steps
Summer arrived in a blaze of heat and humidity, bringing with it a massive milestone.
David was sitting on the living room rug, gently rolling a soft rubber ball toward Leo. At fourteen months old, Leo had mastered the art of the high-speed crawl, but he had been hesitant to let go of the furniture.
Lily came into the room, holding a colorful plush monkey from the nursery. "Look, Leo! Come get the monkey!" she cheered, crouching down a few feet away.
Leo pulled himself up on the edge of the coffee table, his chubby legs wobbling slightly. He looked at David, then at Lily, his eyes wide with determination. Slowly, he let go of the table. He stood there for a breathless second, swaying like a tiny, drunk sailor, before taking one, two, three clumsy steps toward his sister.
"He's doing it!" Lily squealed.
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Leo collapsed into Lily's arms with a delighted shriek. David burst into laughter, clapping his hands loudly. "Way to go, buddy!"
It was a small, ordinary family moment, but to David, it was monumental. The nursery, once a site of trauma and fear, was just a room again. The focus of their home was no longer on surviving the day, but on celebrating these beautiful, mundane triumphs.
