"You can do it Hope!"
Her mother gave her an encouraging smile. 5-year-old Hope Pym stood bended towards the dining table, with full concentration, her gaze locked on to the ants crawling on the table. Her father had finally gave her the green light to use the ear piece, and she was determined to not let him down. She was trying to command the four ants to lift up a coin, but to no avail. Multiple attempts only saw an ant trying to carry the coin, while the others just strayed around.
She frowned. Dark green eyes burned with frustration.
"You need to clear your head, jellybean. Focus and think of what you want the ants to do.", her mom said, rubbing her small back, smiling. She knew that her daughter was not one to give up easily. Hope had a fierce determination coarsing through her, even at a tender age.
"Mommy, I can't.", she pouted, arms crossed.
"Yes you can.", said her father, who emerged from the living room. "Try again.", he smiled, putting his hand around her shoulder. His daughter always showed preserverance plus she was intelligent and curious. He was glad that they could now bond over 'ants'.
Hope clenched her teeth, and focused intently. She had always begged her father to let her talk to the ants ever since she saw him doing it and she wasn't going to give up, not now. This was it.
And sure enough, one by one, the ants lifted the coin off the table, and dropped it into a coin jar.
"I did it mommy! Did you see that daddy?", Hope grinned widely, eyes twinkling with joy.
"Yes you did it jellybean!", Janet beamed at her proudly. Hank smiled, as he tried to ignore the tiny fear that was creeping deep down, a fear that he would come to understand in the future.
