Uh Oh

He’s been watching.

Remy’s trying to place a toy frog on a pointy rock.

It tumbles to the ground.

Remy looks at it.
Then at me.

“Uh oh.”

Hands out.
Palms up.
Perfect timing.

He tries balancing the frog again.

—

I must be the billionth person to do this.

It’s been thirty years since doing it with Remy’s mum.

But I’m doing it again.

Pause.
Own it.
Fix it.

Not as a lesson.
Just… out loud.
When things don’t go to plan.

Spill something.
Miss something.
Get something wrong.

“Uh oh”
Then deal with it.

—

He’s eighteen months old.

He shouldn’t know any of this.

—

I never sat him down.
Never explained it.
Never told him what it meant.

—

“Uh oh.”

Palms up again.

—

Turns out,
someone was watching.