Prompt: Ficlet request: Sam & Andy try to teach Bella how to ride a bike but Sam gets all over-protective of Bella.
"Okay baby! You can do it." Andy calls from her spot on the front steps of their house.
Today was the day Bella's training wheels were coming off. Andy had set Noah up in the driveway throwing his mini basketball into the Fisher Price hoop and she and the twins were bundled up on the porch, cheering her on. Andy rocked the carriers back and forth on either side of her as she watched Sam unscrew Bella's training wheels from her little red bike.
While her husband had been promising the last couple of weekends that they'd finally do it, the late spring rain made him think it wasn't safe. Even last night when she acknowledged that the streets were finally dry, he was still coming up with excuses.
"I think there's a crack in her helmet. She needs a new helmet and it's family day tomorrow so I can't just go out and get a new one." He'd sighed dramatically like it would tear apart the very fabric that is family day.
"Her helmet is fine, I put it with her bike after dinner. And all her pads are fine too." Andy said, rubbing her hands up and down his arms, trying to get him to relax about tomorrow. "Don't worry so much."
She kissed him lightly, and went back picking up around the living room.
She watches Sam crouch down to Bella's level once the training wheels have successfully been removed and started fussing with her jacket. While inspecting the rest of her protective gear he keeps a tight little grin on his face, trying to be excited. But Andy can see his anxiety as he helps her up.
"C'mon Bella!" She cheers, clapping her cold hands together, trying to remind Sam that they're all there, and that nothing bad is going to happen.
Sam helps Bella up onto her seat, and reminds her that pushing the pedals backwards stops the bike and she appears bored and frustrated. She knows this already. Same bike, no training wheels.
Andy had been feeling pretty relaxed about the whole thing up until now. She's resting her weight on one foot while the other searches out the pedal. Sam has one strong hand on the back of her seat, and the other is resting on her back to keep her steady just in case.
She calls to Noah, getting his attention and telling him to watch his big sister, and Sam looks over his shoulder at them and smiles nervously, before walking alongside the bike. He runs down the street with her for quite awhile before Andy hears her yell for him to let go. Then finally he comes to a stop, raising his arms and resting his hands on the back of his head, watching her go off on her own for the first time.
"I hope you realize that this means she can actually get far away if she tries to run away from home."
