One Cry of Pain, and My Parents Stopped Loving Me

Willow is the family’s “glass princess,” a girl with a severe bleeding disorder whose parents spent everything on her care. Her little sister, Poppy, grew up in her shadow.

On the morning of Poppy’s first day of kindergarten, Willow says her chest hurts. Her mother snaps, accusing her of ruining her sister’s day, and leaves with Poppy. Alone, Willow cuts her arm; the bleeding will not stop. She calls her father, then her mother, but no one comes. She lies in a warm bath as the water turns red.

When her parents return with a strawberry cake, they find only an empty house and a mess they mistake for a tantrum. Willow watches, unseen, as Poppy sets aside the biggest slice for her and blows out five candles alone.