But for just a second, he could have sworn he heard a faint, distant echo: Thank you.
He touched his dry ear. It was empty. Quiet.
He stopped fighting. He stopped hopping. He just lay still, breathing slowly. water in ear after shower
His mom appeared in the doorway, a fond smile on her face. “Oh, the old ‘water in the ear’ trick.”
Defeated, Leo flopped onto the living room rug, his clogged ear pressed against the cool floor. He closed his eyes and sighed. He imagined the drop of water wasn’t an enemy, but a tiny, lost explorer. It had stumbled into the warm, dark cave of his ear and was now bouncing around, trying to find its way home to the drain. But for just a second, he could have
Leo had just finished his shower. He’d fought dragons made of shampoo suds and piloted his rubber duck through a tornado of steam. But as he stepped out, towel wrapped around his waist like a superhero’s cape, something terrible happened.
Leo sat up. The hum of the fan was just a hum again. His mom’s voice was clear as a bell from the kitchen. The world was sharp and bright. He just lay still, breathing slowly
“It’s okay, little drop,” Leo whispered to his own ear. “You’re not trapped. I’ll help you.”