Leo pushes a blue puzzle piece into the corner of the puzzle. It doesn't fit at all. He pushes harder, but it stays stubbornly in place.
He pushes even harder. Click—the piece pops out and rolls across the colorful rug. Leo watches it roll away, letting out a small sigh as he rubs his eyes.
Leo drops his hands and slumps forward. His unfinished puzzle sits on the floor, waiting. He rests his forehead on his knees and thinks, maybe I just don't understand how it works.
His mom sits beside him and picks up the blue piece. She looks at it carefully, then at Leo with a gentle smile. 'You'll figure it out,' she says softly.
'Try one more,' she says. Leo picks it up again and takes a deep breath, studying the piece in his hand before turning back to the puzzle.
He tries to push it into the corner, but it still won't fit. He frowns and tries again, setting the piece down with a frustrated huff.
He pushes it into another spot—still wrong. He tries a third spot, and this time, the piece slides in with a soft click. He lets out a quiet cheer.
He lets out a breath and starts looking for the next one. His fingers find a red piece, then a yellow one, then a silver one. Each piece slides into place.
Each piece finds its place. The puzzle slowly comes together, forming a picture Leo can almost see. He works faster now, his movements confident and sure.
Leo puts in the final piece. The whole picture appears—a rocket ship blasting into space, flames roaring, stars everywhere. His eyes go wide with wonder as the image comes alive.
Leo's mouth opens wide as he presses his hand flat against the puzzle, feeling the smooth surface. The rocket ship seems to glow under his touch. He thinks, I did it.
Leo leans back and stares at the rocket ship. A slow smile spreads across his face. The stars seem to twinkle back at him from the completed puzzle.
He taps the silver piece and says, 'We did it.' His mom nods and smiles. 'You worked so hard,' she replies.
The puzzle sits proudly on the coffee table. Leo's eyes stay on the stars, dreaming of his own rocket ship to the moon and beyond. His mom squeezes his shoulder.
