A LOVE UNBOUND

Chapter 4: Advik's Confusion

ADVIK POV:

Mommy keeps saying no, no, no. "No pizza, Advik, it's bad for your tummy." "No chocolate, Advik, you'll get a sore tummy again." I don't get it. Other kids eat pizza all the time, and their tummies are fine! But Mommy just won't let me have any. She doesn't even listen when I ask nicely.

But Auntie Jennifer, she understands. She brought me a big, big pizza yesterday, and it had my favorite cheese on it. She even got me chocolate cake after! Mommy never does that. Auntie Jennifer says it's because she loves me and wants me to be happy. She even said that if she were my mommy, I could have pizza and chocolate every day!

I don't know what to think. Mommy always says she loves me, but it doesn't feel like it. Not when she's always saying "no" and making me eat all those yucky veggies. And Auntie Jennifer tells me I can have whatever I want. She gives me toys, too, and says I deserve to have fun things. She's always smiling and laughing with me, and it feels nice, like having my own special friend.

Today, when Mommy picked me up from school, I didn't feel like talking to her. Auntie Jennifer had already come to see me earlier and gave me a toy car that goes super fast! Mommy didn't know, of course, but I didn't want to tell her. She'd probably just say, "No, Advik, you can't play with it too much, or you'll break it." Mommy is always so serious.

When we got home, she smiled at me, like she always does, and asked, "How was school, Advik?"

I just shrugged. "It was fine."

She tried to talk to me, but I didn't feel like listening. All I could think about was what Auntie Jennifer had said-that Mommy doesn't understand me, not like she does. Auntie Jennifer told me I could tell her anything, that she'd always be there for me. I wonder why Mommy isn't like that.

When Mommy made dinner, it was just boring old soup. I stared at it and poked it with my spoon.

"Advik," she said gently, "Eat up, sweetheart. You need to be strong and healthy."

I frowned. "I don't want this, Mommy. I want pizza."

She sighed, looking sad, but she didn't say anything. And I didn't care. All I could think was, why can't she be more like Auntie Jennifer?

Siya's POV

As I watch Advik push his food around his plate, my heart aches. He's been so distant lately, and I can't seem to reach him. My little boy, who used to run to me with every scraped knee and silly story, now sits across from me with a frown on his face and a wall around his heart.

"Advik, darling," I say softly, trying to keep the worry out of my voice. "Is everything okay?"

He shrugs without looking up. "It's fine," he says, barely above a whisper. There's no smile, no warmth, just this strange indifference that's starting to feel familiar.

He's been asking for pizza, sweets, and junk food every day lately. At first, I thought it was just a phase. But the more he insists, the more I wonder. His tummy has always been so sensitive, and I only want to keep him safe, but he doesn't seem to understand that. And now... it's like he doesn't understand me at all.

"Sweetheart, I know you want pizza and treats, but the doctor said we have to be careful with your tummy, remember?"

He scowls, a look that's so unlike him. "Auntie Jennifer says I can have whatever I want. She's not mean like you."

His words hit me like a punch to the chest. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "Auntie Jennifer... she's been visiting you a lot, hasn't she?"

He nods, a small smile creeping onto his face, and I can't help but feel my stomach sink. "Yeah. She's nice, Mommy. She brings me toys and lets me eat whatever I like. She even says she'd be the best mommy ever if she was my real mommy."

I stare at him, shocked. "Advik... Mommy loves you more than anything in the world. I want you to be healthy and strong, and that's why I have to say no sometimes."

He just shrugs again. "But Auntie Jennifer says you don't care about what I want. She said I'd be happier with her." His words are so innocent, but they carry the weight of something darker.

I swallow hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. How do I tell my own child that someone is trying to turn him against me? I don't want to put that on him. He's only five. He shouldn't have to question who loves him or feel torn between two people.

But Jennifer... she's using him, and it's breaking my heart.

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