Ariel watched first. Then she decided whether something was worth saying.
I’d learned not to rush her.
My daughter was ten and quiet.
Maybe I understood her because I’d been the same way.
At 40, I still remembered being the child adults called “easy.” I behaved, helped, and rarely asked for much.
Nobody treated me badly. I just grew up watching louder people get noticed first.
So with Ariel, I noticed everything. I kept teacher notes and photographed certificates she barely cared about.
I told myself I was making sure she never felt invisible.
Nobody treated me badly.
***