Parents.. with different treatment

Lonely..

The Lonely Life of Xander: A Glass Child's Journey

Six-year-old Xander Brock sat by the window, watching the sunlight dance off the glass panes. Outside, the world seemed bright and busy—the birds chirped in the trees, cars zoomed by, and a group of neighborhood kids played ball in the street. But inside his house, things were different. The house was quiet, save for the distant giggles of his younger brother Xavier and the soft coos of his baby sister Victoria.

Xander felt a pang in his chest as he gazed at the scene. He couldn't quite put it into words, but there was always this gnawing feeling in his stomach—a sensation that he was unseen, unnoticed, like glass. It wasn't that he didn't love his family. He adored them. His parents, Colby and Valerie, worked hard to make sure they had everything they needed. They smiled, kissed him goodnight, and told him they loved him every day. But there was a difference between love and attention, and Xander often found himself wishing for more of the latter.

From the moment Victoria was born, things had changed. His baby sister was adorable, with her bright eyes and infectious laugh. Xander knew why everyone was so captivated by her—he was too, in a way. Xavier, his five-year-old brother, was also always in the spotlight. Xavier had always been the star, the one who could charm anyone with his boundless energy and bold personality. He wasn't bad; he just soaked up the attention, while Xander often felt like he faded into the background.

As a glass child, Xander knew what it meant to be invisible, to be overshadowed. He had ADHD, which sometimes made him feel out of control, like his mind was constantly racing ahead of him while his body struggled to keep up. It made him feel different from the rest of his family. There were times when he wanted to tell them what it felt like inside his head—the noise, the restlessness—but he didn't know how. Every time he tried, the words tangled in his throat, and he'd back away quietly, his eyes drifting toward the ground.

"Xander, can you help with Victoria for a second?" His mom's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Valerie standing by the living room door, Victoria nestled in her arms. Xavier was close by, as usual, spinning in circles, full of his usual energy.

"Sure, Mom," Xander replied, already resigned to the routine. He didn't mind helping with Victoria; he loved her giggles and her soft baby skin. But sometimes he wished someone would ask him how he was doing. He wished someone would stop and listen, really listen, to him. He'd try to speak up sometimes, but it never felt like the right moment. Everyone was always so busy, so caught up in caring for Victoria or calming down Xavier's latest burst of energy.

Xander carried his baby sister over to her play mat, watching as she gurgled happily. She reached for his finger, her small hand wrapping around it with surprising strength. He smiled at her, feeling the warmth of her touch, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. She was just a baby, he reminded himself. It wasn't her fault. But still, that empty space inside him stayed, no matter how hard he tried to push it down.

At school, things were not much better. His ADHD made focusing in class a struggle. His teachers often grew impatient with him, sending notes home about how he couldn't sit still or how he blurted out answers without raising his hand. He didn't mean to disrupt, but it was like his brain had a mind of its own, and it didn't always listen to what he wanted.

The other kids in class didn't seem to understand him either. During recess, they'd run off to play games without him, and Xander would find himself sitting alone on the swings, watching from a distance. It wasn't that they were mean, exactly; they just didn't know how to include him. They didn't get why he sometimes acted different or why he had a hard time keeping up with their fast-paced games. He'd try to join in, but his restless energy often made things awkward, and he'd end up walking away, feeling more alone than before.

His parents would ask about his day at school during dinner, but Xander never knew what to say. He didn't want to worry them or make them feel bad, so he'd shrug and mumble, "It was okay," before pushing the food around on his plate. He figured it didn't really matter. They had their hands full with Xavier and Victoria, anyway.

One evening, Xander sat on the living room floor, building with his blocks. Xavier was running around, pretending to be a superhero, while Victoria babbled in her high chair. Colby and Valerie were in the kitchen, talking softly to each other as they prepared dinner. Xander tried to focus on his blocks, arranging them carefully to build a tower. He loved creating things—it was one of the few times when his mind felt calm, like he could actually control the chaos inside his head.

But then, as always seemed to happen, the peace was interrupted. Xavier swooped into the room, yelling about a bad guy he needed to catch, and with one swift motion, he knocked over Xander's tower.

"Xavier!" Xander's voice cracked with frustration. He stared at the scattered blocks, the remnants of his careful work, now a messy pile on the floor.

"Oh, sorry," Xavier said, but he didn't stop. He was off again, jumping onto the couch, his focus already elsewhere.

Xander's hands trembled as he looked at the ruins of his tower. His chest felt tight, and his heart pounded in his ears. He wanted to scream, to yell for someone to notice what had just happened. But instead, he stood up, quietly walked out of the living room, and headed up the stairs to his bedroom.

In his room, Xander curled up on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest. The loneliness felt heavier than usual tonight, like a weight pressing down on him. He stared at the walls, his thoughts spinning like the whirlwind of activity that always seemed to surround Xavier and Victoria.

Would anyone ever notice him? Would anyone ever ask him how he felt? The questions swirled in his mind, unanswered.

He loved his family. He knew they loved him too. But love didn't always feel like enough. What he really needed was to be seen, to be understood. He needed someone to look past the glass and see the boy inside—the boy who was struggling, who had a whole world of thoughts and feelings just waiting to be heard.

For now, though, Xander lay quietly in his bed, staring at the ceiling, hoping that someday, someone would notice the glass child that he was..