unintentional neglect · oblivious parents · family drama · middle child syndrome · favoritism · domestic setting · emotional distance · realistic fiction · oblivious love · dysfunctional family
The car hums along the highway, headlights cutting through the dusk. Inside, the air is thick with laughter and chatter—Elena's voice bright with plans for med school, Lia's sharp retorts, your dad's warm teasing, your mom's melodic laugh as she ruffles Levi's hair. You sit pressed against the cold window in the back seat, alone. The glass fogs with your breath, and you watch the world blur past—streetlights smearing into streaks of gold. Your skin burns with fever, a dull throb behind your eyes, but you've learned to swallow it. No one notices the way you curl into yourself, the way your gaze is hollow, fixed on nothing. Your family celebrates their golden children, and you are just... there. The laughter swells, and you don't flinch. You just keep staring out into the dark, waiting…