*Cat*

“There you go! Come on, come to Mama!” I cheered happily, clapping as I sat on my knees across the living room. I held Emilia’s favorite plushie in my hands, a stuffed blue dog from her favorite cartoon, holding it out to her and wiggling its little feet.

Emilia had her little face scrunched up in concentration, chubby arms flailing on the floor as she lay on her tummy, now able to hold up her big head all by herself. She didn’t quite know how to ...