Parents.. with different treatment

The glass child

"I'm your son too..." Xander's voice was barely a whisper, but it echoed loudly in the quiet room. He stood in the corner, his small figure cast in the shadows as he watched Colby and Valerie huddled over Xavier and Victoria. His chest ached with a feeling he couldn't fully describe—an invisible weight pressing down, making it hard to breathe.

Xavier had fallen again, tripping over his own feet while playing with Victoria, and now Colby was checking his knee while Valerie reassured him, holding his hand and stroking his hair. Victoria babbled happily, sitting nearby, the center of her parents' smiles and laughter. It was always like this.

Xander's face tightened as he stood there, unnoticed. His heart pounded with a mixture of anger and something else—something deeper, more painful. It wasn't just about this moment. It was about all the moments. Every time Xavier or Victoria fell, there was a rush to comfort them. Every time they cried, there were arms around them in seconds.

But when Xander fell, it felt different. When he cried, it felt like no one rushed quite as quickly. And sometimes, like today, when he didn't cry at all, it was like he didn't exist.

"I'm your son too," he whispered, the words trembling from his lips, almost involuntary. He wasn't even sure if they would hear him. Part of him hoped they wouldn't.

Colby looked up, his face softening as his eyes landed on Xander. "What did you say, bud?" he asked, though his voice carried a tone of surprise.

Xander's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles going white as he forced himself to speak again. "I'm your son too," he repeated, this time louder, though his voice was thick with the emotion he was fighting to hold back. His heart raced, his thoughts swirling. He didn't want to sound weak, but the words were out before he could stop them.

The air in the room seemed to shift. Valerie's smile faded, and she exchanged a quick glance with Colby. Neither of them knew what to say at first. They hadn't expected this, not from Xander. He was usually the loud one, the one who acted out, who broke things and got into trouble. But right now, he wasn't being difficult. He wasn't angry. He was just... sad.

Colby got up from where he knelt beside Xavier, a soft sigh escaping his lips. He took a step toward Xander, his expression a mixture of concern and confusion. "Xander, of course you're our son. Why would you say something like that?"

Xander's face crumpled, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Because you don't care about me," he muttered, his voice sharp but fragile. "You care about them more."

Valerie blinked, caught off guard. "That's not true, Xander. We love you just as much as we love Xavier and Victoria."

Xander shook his head, his throat tightening as he tried to hold back the tears he could feel building. "No, you don't," he said, his voice cracking. "You don't. Every time I do something wrong, you yell at me or get mad. But when they do something wrong, it's like it's okay. You're always there for them. But no one ever cares when I need something."

His words came out in a rush now, the pain spilling out of him in a flood he could no longer control.

"You're always with Xavier and Victoria! I get in trouble for everything. You never care when I'm upset or when something hurts... even when I'm sick. You don't even see me!" Xander's voice rose, filled with frustration and a sadness that had been buried for so long. "You don't see me like you see them."

Colby's face softened, his brows furrowing as he took another step closer to Xander. "Xander, we see you. We do. But sometimes you make it hard for us to help because you don't tell us what's going on."

Xander looked up, his face red, his eyes swimming with unshed tears. "That's because you never ask! You don't even notice when I'm hurting. When Xavier cried because he tripped, you were there right away. But when I'm hurting, you just tell me to stop acting up. You never ask if I'm okay."

Valerie stood now, her arms folded across her chest, her face etched with worry. "We didn't realize you felt this way, Xander," she said softly. "We thought... we thought you didn't need as much attention, that you were stronger."

"Stronger?" Xander echoed, his voice breaking. "I'm not stronger. I just don't show it like they do. It's not fair. I'm always the bad one. I'm always the one you get mad at. But I'm your son too! I need you too!" His voice trembled on the last word, and a single tear slipped down his cheek before he could wipe it away.

Colby's heart sank as he knelt in front of Xander, putting his hands on his son's shoulders. "I'm sorry, buddy. We didn't know that's how you felt. We didn't mean to make you feel like we care about Xavier and Victoria more. That's not true. We love you just as much."

Xander stood still, unsure if he believed his father's words. He looked over at Valerie, who was now holding Victoria, and then back at Xavier, who was still sitting on the floor, wiping his eyes. Everything about this moment felt surreal, like he had been transported out of his body and was watching from afar.

"You say that," Xander whispered, his voice barely audible again, "but it doesn't feel like it."

Valerie stepped forward, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Xander, we've made mistakes," she admitted, her voice trembling. "We've been trying to juggle so much, and we didn't realize how much we were missing with you. But we promise, we'll do better. We'll make sure you feel as loved as Xavier and Victoria do."

Xander bit his lip, a wave of uncertainty crashing over him. He wanted to believe them, but deep down, he wasn't sure if things would really change. He'd heard promises before—promises that they'd try harder, that they'd listen more—but somehow, he always ended up back in the same place, alone in the corner, invisible.

Colby pulled Xander into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Xander stiffened at first, still angry, still hurting, but after a moment, he let himself sink into the warmth of his father's embrace. It wasn't much, but for now, it was enough.

"I'm sorry, Xander," Colby whispered into his son's hair. "I'll do better. I promise."

Xander didn't say anything. He just stood there, letting himself be held, wondering if this time, maybe, things would be different. Maybe this time, they'd really see him. Maybe this time, they'd remember that he was their son too.