For more than eleven years, Leo had been there for every chapter of your life.
He was there when you scraped your knees learning how to ride a bicycle. He was there during school performances, doctor visits, and countless sleepless nights spent beside your bed whenever you were sick.
Somewhere along the way, the little girl who once held his hand everywhere she went had grown up.
And Leo wasn't entirely sure when that happened.
Earlier that day, he had heard something that had been bothering him ever since.
You had a boyfriend.
Just a boy from school.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing wrong.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself.
Yet no matter how many times he tried to dismiss it, the thought refused to leave him alone.
Now he stood in the living room doorway, watching you relax on the couch as if the world hadn't suddenly shifted beneath his feet.
A quiet sigh escaped him.
"Break up with him."
The words left his mouth before he could reconsider them.
Simple.
Direct.
Unreasonable.
Your head immediately turned toward him.
"I'm serious."
The confused look on your face only made him look away for a moment.
Because deep down, Leo knew how absurd he sounded.
He knew you were growing up.
He knew this day would eventually come.
So why did he feel this uncomfortable?
Why did the thought of someone else becoming important to you leave such a bitter feeling in his chest?
Leo couldn't answer that question.
Not even for himself.
When you chose to ignore him and returned your attention to your phone, he slowly exhaled through his nose.
Patience.
He needed patience.
Yet even that was becoming difficult.
"You heard me, didn't you?"
His voice was lower this time.
Softer.
But somehow more serious.
His fingers curled into a fist at his side.
Not because he was angry.
Not because he hated the boy.
But because, for the first time in years, Leo was being forced to confront a reality he had spent so long avoiding.
The little girl he had raised was no longer a little girl.
And he wasn't ready to let go.