Page 22 of Wrath

“Consider me warned.” I followed her through the front door, and as soon as I stepped inside, I heard Willa fuss, “I want my binky.”

“You haven’t had your binky in months, Willa.”

“I want it!”

“Well, I’m sorry, sweetie. You can’t have it.” Hadley knelt in front of her as she explained. “It’s gone.”

“I want it.”

She stomped her foot with a huff, but Hadley remained calm and collected. “Mia came to see you... I was thinking we could take her outside and show her your new playset. What do you think?”

Willa glanced up at me, then looked back to her mother and nodded.

“Great!” Hadley told her with a smile. She scooped Willa up into her arms, and I followed as she carried her outside. She put her in the swing and gave her a little push. Willa lowered her head and stuck out her bottom lip, trying to put on that she was the most miserable child on the planet.

Hadley shook her head and let out a frustrated breath, then gave Willa another push. While she was preoccupied, I took out my camera and took a few quick shots. I looked them over and made some adjustments to the lens, then turned the camera to Willa. The second she noticed that I was about to take her picture, her little face scrunched up in a permanent pout.

There was something about that look that reminded me of her uncle. It seemed his stubborn streak had gone down the family line and had taken root in his sweet, precious niece. It was clear that she wasn’t in the mood for a silly photo shoot.

Nevertheless, I was determined to capture the perfect shot for her mother.

I lowered my camera and gave Willa a reassuring smile as I asked, "Why don’t we give your momma a little break, and you and I can have a little fun? Whatcha think?”

She nodded, and after a little coaxing, Hadley finally agreed. “Okay. I’ll go grab us some lemonade.”

“Oh, that sounds great.”

“I ‘ant my sippy cup.”

“Okay, you got it, sweet girl.”

Once Hadley had gone inside, I stepped over to Willa and asked, “So, where do you think we should take our first picture?”

She stared back at me with wide, skeptical eyes, her tiny hands grasping the ropes of her swing. I crouched down to her level, trying to make myself less intimidating. "I forgot... I have something special for you."

I pulled out a small, plush piglet from my bag and held it in front of her. "See? It squeaks!”

She looked intrigued, so I offered it to her.

As luck would have it, she refused to take it, and her pout deepened. She let out a soft whine, making it clear that she was completely unimpressed by my efforts. I knew this wasn't going to be an easy task, but I was determined to coax her into a better mood.

I scooted a little closer, keeping my camera ready, hoping to catch a candid moment. "Do you want to see how this camera works?"

I held it in front of her as I told her, “It makes funny sounds when I press this button."

I pressed the shutter button, causing the camera to click loudly. Willa's eyes widened in surprise, momentarily forgetting her grumpy demeanor. I did it again, and her chubby cheeks dimpled as she let out a giggle, a sound that instantly melted my heart.

It was the perfect opportunity, and I quickly snapped a photo, capturing her infectious smile. Hoping to keep the moment going, I pointed to her mother’s garden. “How ‘bout you show me your garden? We might find some pretty flowers to take pictures with?"

“Okay.”

I slowly stood up, keeping my camera at the ready, and led Willa to the back of the yard. As we strolled along the colorful pathway, I pointed out different flowers, hoping to captivate her attention. Willa's expression softened slightly, and she reached out to touch a velvety rose petal.

"It’s so pretty. Just like you.”

Willa paused for a moment; her gaze fixed on the camera. And then, in a sudden burst of sweetness, her pout vanished, replaced by another precious smile. I quickly snapped a series of shots, capturing her toothy grin and twinkling eyes.

Despite her initial resistance, I’d managed to get some pretty incredible shots. I was taking a few more just to be sure when Hadley came out with our lemonade. She sounded more than a little concerned as she asked, “How’s it going?”

---