Life as Shania

Chapter 8: Dad's Visit (Part 2)

That night, it must've been barely 3am, Chris woke up to get a drink. As he passed by Shania's doorless room, he noticed that she was laying on her side and he could hear her sniffling. He walked in closer and saw that his sister was crying in bed. When Shania noticed her brother, she quickly pulled her blanket over her head.

"Hey hey, sweety, you're alright. Do you need a hug?" Chris asked his sister as he sat on her bed.
Hearing that, Shania took her blanket off and reached out for a hug and cried even more. It broke Chris's heart to see his sister like that.

"I'm sorry I'm stupid, I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry," Shania cried to her brother.
"Hush hush, you're not stupid or bad, I'm sorry I didn't think about how you felt," consoled Chris. He pulled her closer to him and carried her to his room.

Shania had always loved being in Chris's room, there's something about his bed that made her feel safe and comforted. Maybe it's because Chris always let her sleep on his bed whenever she had a nightmare or whenever she's sick.

"Try getting some more sleep, it's Saturday, you don't need to be up early today," Chris told Shania as he wiped her tears with his palm and kissed her forehead.
"I'll be right here," assured Chris.

In the morning, Papa Lee was already reading the newspaper at the dining table when Chris got up.

"Papa, I think we're a little too harsh on Naya," Chris started.
Papa Lee put the newspaper down to signal Chris to continue talking.
"I don't think it's fair that we're putting all this restrictions and expectations on her overnight," Chris continued.
"I was so much harsher and strict to you when you were her age," reminded Papa Lee.
"She's not me, and I didn't like how strict you were. I was always afraid of you. I don't want Naya to be afraid of you ..and me," Chris said.
"You know what, since you're her legal guardian anyway, and you think you have a better way of dealing with her, then you do it. If her results don't improve by her mid-year exams, I'm doing things my way," Papa Lee stood up and headed to his bedroom.

That afternoon, Chris and Shania sent Papa Lee to the airport.

"Be good, listen to your brother. He loves you so much," Papa Lee told Shania as he hugged her goodbye.