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Rainbow had always been a bright, imaginative little girl, the kind whose laughter filled every room like warm sunlight. But on this particular afternoon, her world didn’t feel so warm. Instead, it felt confusing, shaken, and a little bit broken. She sat on the edge of her bed, tears rolling down her cheeks, trying to understand what had just happened.
Earlier that day, Rainbow had been playing in the living room, building a castle out of colorful blocks. She was humming softly, lost in her own world of knights, dragons, and magical spells. Her mom, Libby, was rushing around the house trying to finish too many tasks at once. The phone had rung twice. The laundry buzzer had gone off. Dinner was late. Everything felt overwhelming.
Rainbow didn’t know any of that. She only knew she wanted to show her mom the little flag she had made for the top of her block castle. Excitedly, she ran over, waving it in her hand. But Libby, stressed and distracted, didn’t see where Rainbow’s feet were. She turned too quickly, bumped into her daughter, and Rainbow stumbled backward, hitting the floor with a surprised gasp.
It wasn’t a hard fall, but it was enough to scare her. Enough to make tears spring to her eyes. And enough to make her feel, for a moment, like the world had turned upside down.
Libby froze. The stress in her shoulders melted instantly into guilt. She knelt down beside Rainbow, her expression softening as she realized what she had done—not on purpose, but still real to her child.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she whispered, pulling Rainbow gently into her arms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to push you. I didn’t see you there.”
Rainbow sniffled, leaning her head against her mother’s chest. The hurt wasn’t just from the fall—it was from being startled, from feeling unseen. But Libby held her close, rocking her slowly, whispering soothing words.
After a few minutes, Rainbow’s tears began to fade. She looked up at her mother with wide, watery eyes. Libby brushed a strand of hair from her face.
