Parents.. with different treatment

...

One afternoon, Sam dropped by unexpectedly. He often stopped in to spend time with Colby and Valerie's kids, especially with Xavier and Victoria, who adored their uncle. But today, his attention was quickly drawn to Xander, who was sitting alone in the corner, his body curled up as though he was trying to make himself small. Xander wore a long-sleeved shirt, which seemed unusual for such a warm day, and Sam noticed the tense way he kept tugging the sleeves down.

"Hey, buddy," Sam said softly as he approached, his voice filled with warmth. "What's going on? You wanna show me what you're working on?"

Xander looked up, his wide, apprehensive eyes meeting Sam's. There was a flicker of something—relief, maybe even trust—but it was quickly swallowed by a hesitancy Sam didn't often see in his nephew. Xander shifted, glancing down as if struggling with whether or not he should speak.

"I... I don't know, Uncle Sam," Xander mumbled. His small fingers fidgeted with his sleeves, pulling at the cuffs until one of them slid up slightly, revealing a patch of mottled, purplish skin.

Sam's heart sank. He tried to keep his expression neutral, not wanting to scare Xander, but he gently placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Xander, buddy... did something happen? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Xander looked away, his shoulders hunching as he whispered, "I'm not supposed to say. Dad gets mad. Real mad." His voice was thick with worry, and his small frame trembled slightly.

Sam's mind raced, a mixture of anger and sadness bubbling up inside him. He knew Colby had his struggles, but he'd never suspected it had gone this far. Sam took a deep breath, determined to handle this as gently as possible. "Hey, you don't have to be scared. No matter what, I'm here for you. And so is your mom."

Xander gave a small nod, but Sam could see the weight of fear still pressing down on him. With careful movements, Sam lifted the cuff of Xander's sleeve, revealing the full extent of the bruises and faint scars that trailed up his arm. His heart broke seeing just how much Xander had been hiding.

"Xander," Sam said, his voice a quiet whisper, "you don't deserve any of this. You're such a brave kid, you know that?"

Xander's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and he finally allowed himself to lean into Sam, feeling a comforting, safe embrace that he so often missed...