"It's too much for him! Even the teacher said she didn't think it was a good fit!"
"Lian, he needs friends- He can't spend his entire childhood isolated from everyone else-!"
"I just don't think kindergarten is the right choice right now- he's too sick! He can start next year when he's more prepared, more kids are starting later on- he's still young!"
The young child in question blinked sleepily, adjusting his grip on his stuffed seal as he sat up, brow furrowing. What was that sound? He swung his legs over the side of his bed and softly padded across his room to press his ear against the door, listening closely to what was happening.
It took him a couple moments to fully grasp what was going on, and he hugged his seal tightly, a small scowl making its way across his face.
They were fighting again.
Toby bit his lip and stepped away from the door, before looking around at his room, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach. He knew that both his parents loved him, and they told him that they were just fighting a little bit, but not to worry about it... But it didn't feel right.
It had started when he got sick last christmas, he remembered. He could remember throwing up, and that he didn't like it. He had to sleep a lot, and Uncle Ozzie had come over to help watch him, and showed him pictures of Auntie, saying that they were finally going to get married later on in the year. After his birthday.
But the fighting...
Oem-ma had broken something, he remembered. his father had said something... He couldn't remember what, but it didn't go over well. He was going to go see what happened, but after nearly falling out of his bed, Uncle Ozzie had put him back in and told him not to worry. He didn't remember much after that.
Their arguments had been happening more often as of late, he could tell in the way they chose to treat one another, and how they looked to one another. Something was wrong.
Their angry voices were getting louder as he stood in his room. Toby scuffed his foot against the floor as his brow furrowed. He didn't like it when they fought, not at all. They always seemed ok to him when he was nearby, but when he wasn't...
The small boy quietly opened his door and padded out into the hallway making his way to the living room.
He blinked and squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the light, and then spoke up, yawning widely. "Hallo..."
Both his parents quickly hushed and turned to their son, smiles immediately plastering themselves across their faces. They were both holding gifts- there were even balloons distributed across the room.
His father quickly strode across the room to scoop him into his arms, smile softening as his son snuggled into his shoulder. "Good morning, saengseon! Are you ready for your big day?"
Toby looked across the room at his mother, smiling widely in response to her own, smaller smile, "mmhm!"
She hesitated, eyes flitting briefly to her husband, before she made her way over and kissed his forhead, laughing quietly as the boy squealed in glee.
"happy birthday, Tobias."