#FlashFictionMagic: Pride and Puppets

Fern and Grace built blocks on the playroom floor while Dave paced and reviewed what the pediatrician had said.

“How is anyone supposed to know? Singing, narrating her play, and limiting screens.” He flung his arms in the air. “No matter what I do, it’s not enough. She’s not learning to talk because of me.”

Fern suspected Dave was taking routine questions as criticism of his parenting, as usual, but she knew he'd feel better if he felt he could help Grace’s speech.

“She seems fine to me.” Fern added one last block to the tower before Grace said, “Boom!” and knocked it over. “But if you want to do some of that stuff, I don’t think it’s hard.” She skimmed a hand through the pile of toys strewn on the rug and snatched up a brown rabbit finger puppet with a pink bow on one ear.

“Hello, Miss Gracie.” Fern used a high-pitched, breathy voice befitting a cartoon character. Grace giggled. Fern looked at Dave. “See? You make it fun, and she learns at the same time.”

“I'm not doing voices,” Dave said, perching on the edge of a chair. “I do have some pride, Fern.”

Fern selected another finger puppet from the toy pile, a green frog with a purple tie. “Oh come on,” she said in a deep voice, shoving the frog in Dave’s face. “It’s okay to be silly sometimes.”

Dave shoved the puppet away. “That’s you, not me.”

“Well,” she said, knowing it was time to back off. “You’ll find your thing, then. But you’re doing fine, I promise.”

Dave just grunted.

Later, Fern went down the hallway to the bathroom. When she returned, at first she thought Dave had turned on the radio. But no, the sound she was hearing - a gruff, wolfish voice - was live. Softly, so as not to disturb the moment, she approached the doorway and stood, observing.

“I’m gonna get those little toes,” Dave said as he tapped the Big Bad Wolf puppet against Grace’s foot, and she squealed with laughter.

Fern wished she had a camera to capture how adorable this moment was. She thought her heart might burst. She wanted to step in and congratulate him, to revel in how quickly he had caught on, but she held herself back. She’d keep it a secret that she was proud of him, and let him hold onto his pride, too.