Sympathy

Cole was crying in the corner of his room.
He was really upset because Daddy and Amelia were cleaning up the living room and he and Mommy were cleaning up his bedroom and Daddy and Amelia finished first. He seemed inconsolable.
I don't know for sure. My drama quotient for the day had been met. I was continuing to chuck paperbacks onto the book shelf and toss Hot Wheels into the wicker basket by the dresser.

Amelia raced into the room, saw Cole in the corner and chirped, "Happened Cole?" and then, "Y'okay Cole? Okay?" (Two of her three favourite phrases these days). Then my heart melted as she squatted down next to him, tilted her head to look him square in the face and said her very most favourite phrase to him in a sweet, gentle voice, "Don't be grumpy, Cole. Don't be grumpy."

Then she craned her neck and kissed him gently on the cheek and said again softly, "Don't be grumpy, Cole."
It was a touching moment. And it lasted only a moment.

Then, still frozen in the squatted stance with one hand on Cole's back, her face inches from his, she SHREIKED at top volume, "DON'T BE GRUMPY, COLE!!!!!!"