Seeing the signs

After a busy day at work nothing beats picking up Ellie from pre-school. At least that’s what I imagined.

Ellie had other ideas.

I should have seen the warnings when she refused to put on her shoes and my attempts to parlay were met with disinterest. Ellie prefered to lie on the floor and play with a toy. Minutes pass, patience wears thin. After the final of many requests had failed, I picked her up and fell into the trap.

She was not playing on the floor, She laid the groundwork spoke the incantations and now I stared point blank as she unleashed her greatest weapon.

The skies fell, seas boiled as before my eyes my daughter became a singular point of rage and grief.

A fully charged Armageddon tantrum.

Inconsolable and defiant, Ellie stared at me, as if I was the ruiner of all things, her eyes full of impotent fury.

“I WAS ABOUT TO PUT MY SHOES ON!” She screamed, thrashing in her car seat prison like a sundered god.

Pedestrians giving me a knowing nod and quickened their pace for none could withstand the fury.

One hour did the tantrum last, a new record from car to bath to bed.

Who will greet us when we rise? Our lovely daughter or yet another surprise?