I never thought a text from my dad would derail my whole week—or that I’d end up crashing a seven-year-old’s birthday party with my grandpa as my chauffeur. Yet here we are. My name is Marissa, and I’m nineteen years old, a college freshman finishing up my first year.
I live about twenty minutes from my dad’s house, close enough to visit on weekends or whenever I’ve got a break from school. Or at least, I used to. Because lately, things don’t feel the same.
They haven’t, not since Dad remarried. I have a little brother—Caleb. He’s seven, with wide curious eyes, a mischievous gap-toothed grin, and a mind that’s completely consumed by outer space.
Planets, rockets, aliens—you name it, he’s obsessed. Half the time he’s running around the yard pretending to be an astronaut or lecturing me on how long it would take to get to Mars. Technically, Caleb is my half-brother.
We share a dad but not a mom. But in my heart, he’s just my brother. Labels like “half” don’t mean anything when you’ve been there since the day he was born.
I’ve cheered at his preschool recitals, clapped at his soccer games when he ran the wrong way, and been there for every single birthday party. I’m not exaggerating—every one. And he always says the same thing to me, without fail: “You’re my favorite person, Riss.”
Doesn’t matter what kind of day I’ve had—hearing that makes everything feel lighter.
But things shifted when Dad married Sabrina. She’s thirty, and honestly, she looks more like someone who’d sit next to me in class than someone who should be married to my dad. That’s not the problem though.
The problem is how she treats me. Not cruel. Not openly hostile.
Just… distant. Cold. Like I’m this leftover remnant from my dad’s past that she wishes didn’t exist.
I brushed it off at first. Families are complicated, right? Not everyone clicks right away.
But I never in a million years thought she’d push it to the point where I’d be banned from something as important as Caleb’s birthday. It started with a text from Dad. I had messaged him to ask what time the party was.
Caleb had been talking about it for weeks, and I’d already bought him a gift—the Lego rocket set he’d been drooling over. I figured I’d go early, maybe help set up, bring cupcakes, be part of the celebration like always. Instead, I got this:
“Hey, sweetheart.
Sabrina thinks it’s better if you sit this one out this year. She feels like you take attention away from Caleb. Please respect her wishes.”
I remember just staring at my phone, my heart thudding.
Sit this one out? Was he serious? I called him instantly, my hands trembling.
“Dad? What is this text?”
He sighed, heavy and tired. “It’s not me, Riss.
It’s her. She thinks it’s best if Caleb has family there without outsiders. It’ll be easier if you don’t come.”
“Outsiders?” My voice cracked.
“I’m his sister. How am I an outsider?”
“I know,” he said quickly. “I know you are.
But Sabrina feels strongly about this. Just… don’t make a scene, okay? Respect her wishes.”
I hung up before he could say anything else.
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