Morning, 7:00 AM
A gentle knock tapped against the door, breaking the silence of Aira's small room."Aira, wake up. Come downstairs for breakfast." Lily Brown's voice floated in, calm but with the usual edge of impatience.
Aira groaned softly, rubbing her sleepy eyes 😪😴. The blanket slipped down her shoulders as she pulled it back up for a second, reluctant to leave the warmth. Her voice came out drowsy and muffled."I'm up… I'll be down soon."
"You need to hurry," Lily added, her tone firmer. "If you don't come for breakfast on time, your dad's going to be angry with you." Without waiting for a reply, Lily's footsteps faded as she went downstairs to finish preparing breakfast.
Aira sat up immediately, her heart giving a nervous thud. "Wake up… I'm up," she whispered to herself, as if trying to convince her own body to move. She raised her voice a little and called out, "Okay, Mom. You can go. I'll be down in a minute."
Her voice was low, careful—respectful, as though she were afraid of breaking something fragile.
Dragging herself out of bed, she slipped into the washroom to freshen up and change out of her nightclothes.
A few minutes later, at dining table
Aira walked quietly into the dining room. The smell of freshly brewed coffee, buttered toast, and fried eggs hung in the air. Her hair was still slightly messy, strands falling into her face, but she didn't bother fixing them.
At the head of the table, her father, Thomas Brown, already sat in his usual chair. The newspaper in his hands rustled as he glanced up, his sharp eyes narrowing the moment they landed on her.
"Late again." His voice was cold, cutting. "How long does it take you to come down, Aira?"
Aira froze, clutching the back of her chair. "Sorry… I didn't mean to—"
"Sorry, sorry." He cut her off, his tone rising. "You say that every time, but your behavior hasn't changed at all, Aira!"
Her shoulders hunched, her fingers tightening on the chair.
Just then, footsteps echoed down the stairs, light and cheerful. The tension in the room shifted in an instant.
"Good morning, everyone!" chirped Sana, Aira's youngest sister, her voice as bright as her smile.
Thomas's stern face softened immediately, a proud smile replacing his scowl. "Good morning, princess. You're awake. Come sit, Sana."
Sana hurried to her seat, her hair bouncing as she moved. She sat gracefully and said with a small laugh, "I hope I didn't come late for breakfast."
Thomas folded his newspaper neatly and placed it on the table. His voice grew warm, indulgent. "No, no. You're not late. You must be tired, sweetheart. Long night?"
Sana giggled, spreading jam on her bread. "Yeah, I was texting Liam until like two in the morning. He's so funny."
They all laughed together, the sound filling the room.
Aira, still standing where her father had been scolding her moments ago, quietly pulled out her chair. She knew no one was looking at her anymore—not when their princess was here. Slipping into her seat, she kept her head low and reached for the butter dish.
"Use a spoon. Don't just dip your knife in, Aira," Lily scolded lightly when she noticed.
Aira's hand stilled. She placed the knife down slowly, carefully, as though afraid it would make a sound. But her appetite had already faded. No one noticed.
Her eyes lowered to her untouched plate. They all laugh around me like I'm invisible… The thought echoed in her mind, heavy and bitter. I share the same blood, the same home, the same last name, the same table… but it feels like I'm not part of this family.
She forced a faint smile, one that carried no warmth. This kind of love always skips me. Every time. And it hurts… every single time