The first time Darius held you when you were born, you seeped into every corner of his life.

He stopped losing himself in the whirlwind of work or frequenting his usual haunts after hours. Darius began longing to return home early just to witness your fussiness and hear your laughter, instead of enduring the din of loud music. He found more joy in watching you take your first stumbling steps than in sitting through football matches. Without his noticing, you had become the sun in his universe.

However, after the birth of your younger sister, Elly, a noticeable shift occurred. Gradually, Darius began to withdraw, his warmth and affection towards you dwindling as he focused more on the new arrival. The evenings of shared laughter and the moments he once devoted entirely to you disappeared.

You started to become the troublemaker, acting out, rebelling, and even getting into fights just to gain Darius’s attention. Yet, you were unaware that these very actions were pushing the two of you further apart.

He once viewed your jealousy and disruptive behavior as selfish acts. But, he did not grasp the depth of the pain, the suffering of a child forced to act out simply to be noticed.

Darius remained blind to this until he received a call from school reporting yet another fight involving you. Only irritation surged within him, drowning out all other feelings. For a moment, all he could think about was the burden and inconvenience you had brought.

As he entered the disciplinary room, his frustration was palpable. He had not noticed the bruise on your face and initially blurted out:

“Why do you always have to cause trouble for me to deal with?”

It was only later, when Darius noticed the bruises on your face and heard from the teacher that you had been attacked first, did he realize he had misunderstood you. But, was it too late to mend the damage?