Chapter 5 - THE FAVORITE CHILD
The first person I called was Jessica.
Not because I wanted to fight.
Not because I wanted revenge.
Because I needed answers.
I needed to know if this was something new…
Or if I had spent my entire life ignoring the obvious.
She answered quickly.
“Hey, Sarah.”
Her voice sounded cheerful.
Like nothing happened.
“Jessica, I need to ask you something.”
“Okay.”
“Did you know Emma wasn’t getting a Disney ticket?”
Silence.
Just for a second.
But it was enough.
She knew.
“Jessica?”
She sighed.
“Mom told me.”
My chest tightened.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing?”
“Sarah, don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what?”
“Turn this into some huge family fight.”
I walked toward the window.
“Jessica, my daughter came home believing Grandma didn’t want her.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“Then explain it.”
She didn’t.
Instead, she said:
“Mom and Dad have always been closer to my kids.”
I stared outside.
The honesty surprised me.
Not because it was new.
Because she finally admitted it.
“You know that?”
“Of course.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
A pause.
Then:
“Sarah, my kids are different.”
I felt my stomach twist.
“Different how?”
“They’re more outgoing.”
“They’re more involved.”
“They need more attention.”
I closed my eyes.
Because that was the same excuse I had heard my entire life.
“Jessica.”
“What?”
“Do you remember when you got your first car?”
She became quiet.
“Why are you asking this?”
“Because I remember.”
She sighed.
“Sarah…”
“No. I remember Mom and Dad saying you deserved it because you worked hard.”
“I did work hard.”
“I know.”
“And you’re saying I didn’t?”
“No.”
My voice softened.
“I’m saying they always found reasons to choose you.”
Silence.
Then Jessica said:
“Maybe because I gave them reasons.”
That sentence hurt.
More than I expected.
Because it wasn’t just my parents.
It was my sister too.
She believed she earned the love I never received.
I hung up.
For years, I had blamed only my parents.
But now I realized something.
Jessica had watched it happen.
She watched me get less.
And she never questioned it.
That afternoon, I made a decision.
I wasn’t going to beg my family to treat Emma better.
I wasn’t going to ask for an apology.
I wasn’t going to explain why my daughter deserved love.
Because love should not need a presentation.
I was going to show Emma something different.
That family isn’t always about blood.
Sometimes family is the people who make you feel chosen.
I picked Emma up from school.
She ran toward me.
But instead of jumping into my arms like usual…
She stopped.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Are you mad at Grandma?”
I knelt down.
“I’m hurt.”
She looked worried.
“Because of me?”
I immediately shook my head.
“No.”
I held her shoulders.
“Listen to me carefully, Emma.”
“You never cause problems by wanting to be loved.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Really?”
“Really.”
That night, I made dinner.
We sat at the table together.
No phones.
No distractions.
Just us.
Then I asked:
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”
She thought about it.
“Disney?”
I smiled.
“Besides Disney.”
She looked up.
“Paris.”
“Why Paris?”
“Because I want to see the Eiffel Tower.”
I laughed.
“Anything else?”
She thought harder.
“Maybe Italy.”
“Why?”
“Because Grandma said Italy was beautiful.”
That hurt.
Even after everything…
She still loved them.
Children are amazing like that.
They can be hurt by people and still hope those people become better.
After Emma went to bed, I opened my computer again.
The cruise reservation was still there.
But instead of canceling it…
I changed the reservation.
One name disappeared.
Two new names appeared.
Mine.
And Emma’s.
Then I received a message.
From my father.
Only five words.
We need to talk tomorrow.
But this time…
I wasn’t afraid.
Because I finally understood something.
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They thought they controlled the story.
They didn’t know I had already started writing a new ending.
