Sorry for breaking from the story I'm supposed to be working on, but this was so much my day that it demanded to be written.
I know fireflies are probably only called lightning bugs in the corner of the world where I grew up, but I couldn't resist the layered word play.
_-(o)-_
"Damn it! Stupid lump!"
A larger, gentler hand wrapped around the clenched fist that had just thrown the misshapen figure to the neighboring bench. Frog? Pear in a three legged bowl?
"Lucien!" Her voice expressed surprise that she didn't really feel, but it helped her to avoid a laugh that would only have been misunderstood. "Why such ugly words? There is already too much ugliness in the world; no need to add any more." She picked up the lump and started to massage it, flatten it, stretch it.
"I can't make it right. No matter how I tried."
"So try again." Her hand began to smooth a bump.
"I have tried again … and again." The boy began to run out of steam. "It's useless." He pulled his hand free and added in the faintest whisper, "I'm useless."
"That is not true. How can you believe such an obvious lie, my little Lightning Bug? For a moment I thought you might be a Thunder Bug today, eh?" He chirped a little laugh, comforted as she tickled the hair behind his ear. "Perhaps molding the clay is not your best talent, but yesterday's drawings were good."
"Really, maman?" Her suspicious 7 year old obviously believed she was only being his mum now.
"Well, improved over last week's. You were more patient, yes?" She slowly tucked and folded the clay, glancing up at the project she'd been working on moments before.
"Yes."
"Took time to add texture and shadows?"
"Yes," with growing confidence, he drew out the vowel in agreement, just beginning to believe her, now. He began to bounce lightly on the hands he'd decided to control by sitting on.
She set the not-so-shapeless lump on the table in front of him, now vaguely a leaf of the lilacs she had been painting. "Hmmm, molding the clay is not my best either, but if I keep the shapes simple … it's not so bad, eh? Start simple, then add the details, yes?"
He tipped his head a bit to one side, stroking the edge of the leaf he'd placed gently on the table.
"Now, outside with you for a bit. Too much energy for the studio."
"Yes, maman." He sighed, dismissed again.
