Parents.. with different treatment

3 children 2 gets attension 1 is mistreated

Xander's Quiet Heart

Xander sat at the edge of the playroom, his fingers idly spinning a toy car in circles on the floor. His eyes drifted toward the living room, where Valerie was gently rocking baby Victoria in her arms. Colby was kneeling beside Xavier, helping him piece together a new puzzle. Xander bit his lip, his heart feeling heavier with every second that passed.

He was used to it by now—the way everyone seemed to pay more attention to Xavier and Victoria. Xavier was still small enough to need a lot of help, and Victoria was just a baby, which meant lots of cuddles, smiles, and soft whispers. But Xander? He was five now, and lately, it felt like being five meant people just... forgot.

Victoria let out a soft coo, and Valerie's face lit up. "Oh, look at her, Colby! She's smiling!"

Colby turned, his smile wide. "Hey, look at you, little Victoria!" He leaned over to kiss her tiny forehead. "Our baby girl's growing up so fast."

Xander watched them from afar, his chest tightening. He hadn't seen Colby smile at him like that in a long time. The last time he tried to show his dad something—his new Lego tower—Colby had just nodded, distracted by Xavier's demands for help.

Xavier suddenly clapped, drawing all eyes to him. "I did it! I finished the puzzle!" he announced proudly.

Colby ruffled Xavier's hair. "Great job, buddy! You're getting so good at this."

Xander swallowed hard, his hands tightening around his toy car. He wished someone would look at him the way they looked at Xavier. He wished someone would notice the cool things he could do too.

Maybe if he did something really impressive, they'd pay attention. Maybe they'd see him again.

He jumped to his feet and ran toward his room, grabbing the tallest stack of Legos he had ever built. It was taller than Victoria's crib, taller than Xavier's puzzles—it was perfect. He carried it carefully into the living room, his heart pounding with anticipation.

"Daddy! Mommy! Look what I built!" Xander called, his voice hopeful.

But no one looked.

Valerie was busy trying to soothe Victoria, who had started to fuss. "Shh, sweetie, it's okay," she whispered to the baby.

Colby was still sitting with Xavier, helping him take apart the puzzle so they could start again. "Let's do this one more time, Xavier," he said, his focus completely on his younger son.

Xander stood frozen, the weight of his creation growing heavier in his hands. His heart sank as the seconds passed. No one even turned their head. No one saw him. The Lego tower wobbled in his hands, and his eyes burned with the threat of tears.

In that moment, it felt like he didn't matter.

Slowly, Xander lowered the tower onto the floor. He didn't have the energy to hold it up anymore. His small hands trembled as he backed away from the living room, his feet quiet on the carpet. No one even noticed as he disappeared down the hall, his heart breaking with each step.

He sat down on his bed, pulling his knees to his chest. Maybe being five meant you didn't need help anymore. Maybe it meant you were too big for hugs and smiles. Maybe it meant you had to be okay with being invisible.

Xander buried his face in his arms, wishing he could understand why it felt so lonely now that Victoria had come. He loved his baby sister, and he loved Xavier too. But he missed the days when it was just him and his mom and dad, when he didn't feel like the forgotten one.