Emotions. One of the many weaknesses of a woman, or so her father says. Arial felt too many emotions, most of them being negative. Most of them being caused by her father. Her father is a cruel, cruel man, but she always had hoped. Hoped that one day, he’d choose her. See, her father favored everyone else over her and she was sick of it. And with the new baby, the only other girl in the family full of men and boys, all of the attention has switched to her. She knows that she shouldn’t be jealous of a baby, it’s a literal baby after all, but she can’t help it.

She sat at her mother’s old vanity table, brushing her hair and looking at herself in the mirror. She had the same waviness that her mom had, same type of blonde too. She glanced at the crib through the mirror. Since Arial was the only other girl in the family, they decided to put the baby in her room. Which she hated. Birdy was what they called her, a name she had chosen to mock her new sister. Ala didn’t like it since his name was also chosen as a joke, but despite that, everyone stuck with Birdy. So Birdy was her new roommate. She had cried a lot and she constantly ruined Arial’s mood. There was nothing she could do about it though.

Speaking of Birdy, she had stirred from her sleep and began to whine and cry, somehow being louder than the music playing from the record player. The cries did not mix well with Brenda Lee’s singing. Arial set her brush down and huffed with annoyance. She stood, pushing away her seat, and walked over to the crib. She looked down at Birdy as she squirmed, her face all red and wet with tears. She really did not want to deal with this. The cries made her want to bury her head into a pillow and wait there until Birdy had cried enough to where she couldn’t scream anymore and went silent again. Of course, Birdy never did do that. She would cry until she got what she wanted. 

“Are you going to stop Birdy’s crying or are you just going to keep staring at her?” Arial jumped back at the sound of her father’s voice. She glanced up to her father leaning against the doorframe, hair neatly combed back and glasses sitting at the crooked bridge of his nose. He pushed himself off the frame and walked towards the record player, turning down the music. He then made his way over to the crib and picked Birdy up, placing her in Arial’s arms.

“You’re the woman of the house now, it’s your job to take care of the little ones while Papa works, you understand?” She nodded.

“Sorry, papa…” He patted her on the shoulder, Arial slightly flinching away from his touch, and he walked away. She felt as though she had disappointed him. She looked down at Birdy. If it wasn’t for her, Papa wouldn’t be putting this responsibility on her and he wouldn’t be disappointed in her. When the baby was soothed and put back to sleep, she set her down carefully back into the crib. She turned around and was surprised to see her father still in her room.

He was looking at mother’s vanity, caressing the beautiful woodwork that was designed in the polished wood. Arial never saw her parents act like the princes and princess she reads in the stories she reads in secret. Where the prince adores the princess and calls her all these love-filled words and sweeps the princess right off her feet. Her parents were never like that. In moments like these though, it makes her wonder if her father really did love her mother once upon a time. Maybe before the hospital, before they had Ala, before Papa was sent to war. Did they love each other? When her father picks up the framed photo of her mother that she keeps on that vanity desk, she thinks yes. With the sorrowful look in his eyes, there must have been a time where they really truly loved each other just like the princes and princesses in those books. A time where her father once felt love and compassion for another human being. Once he caught sight that Arial was staring, he returned to his cold and composed face and set the picture down. 

“Well now, you got the baby back under control, I’ll take my leave then,” As he began to leave, Arial felt panic rise in her chest and she reached out her hand, but she quickly pulled back. Her father probably was rushing to get back to work and she didn’t want to disrupt that. Her father must’ve seen her reach out because he had stopped as he was about to step out the door and looked at her.

“You have something to say, say it.” She gulped and picked at her fingernails. She needed to think quick, what did she want to say? She honestly didn’t mean to reach out for him, but now she needed to think of something as to not waste anymore time. 

“I…I was just wondering if, maybe, the baby could be in someone else’s room? My room is quite small and there really isn’t enough room for the both of us. Plus, aren’t I little young too take care of a baby?” She glanced up at her father’s face and his scrunched up his face, as if he was somehow offended that she would ask something like that.

“Arial, I’ve already told you. You’re the woman of the house now, it’s your responsibility to take care of the baby. You’re the only one who’s able to do it, doesn’t that make you feel special?” It kinda did, but still, she did not want to have any business with this baby.

“But Papa, there’s Ala. He’s been taking care of the little ones, way before I have! Why do I have to do it?” He took a step forward and she shut her mouth real quick, fear that he was going to pop her in the mouth.

“You’re sounding just like your mother right now, always nagging for someone to help her with the children as if that isn’t the woman’s job. The baby was put in your room because you are a woman, that is your job as a woman, and it will always remain your job as woman! I give you one thing, one single tiny thing, for you to do and you can’t even do that!” His voice began to raise and he took more steps towards her. She kept backing up away from him, tears threatening to spill, until her back hit the wall.

“Just like your mother! Always like that sorry excuse of a woman! Why can’t any of the children that come from me be like me, huh!? No matter how little I have let you guys see her, you all always end up like her and I’m sick of it! I’m sick of these demons that I call mine! You came from the Devil himself and I’ve been cursed to take care of his offspring!” He had balled his hands into fists and Arial felt fear spread all throughout her body. She should’ve just kept her mouth shut. Both of their heads swerved towards the crib when the baby began to cry again. Probably from her father’s yelling. Arial hurried to pick Birdy back up and soothe her back to sleep. Her father rubbed the side of his head, as if to make a headache less irritating.

When she had calmed the baby back down and set her back in the crib, Arial was too afraid to turn back around to look at her father, if he was still there at all, so she just continued to look down at Birdy squirm in her sleep.

“Arial, look at me,” She sucked in a breath and slowly turned herself around. Her father’s arms were crossed and he had a worn look on his face. She never really realized how many wrinkles have now scattered over his face, but they were noticeable now. He breathed in slowly while closing his eyes and looked back at her as he exhaled.

“You made me very upset just now, I think you know that.” She nodded.

“But I do appreciate you taking care of the baby as soon as it started crying, I want to see more of that from you.” She felt the hot tears fall down her cheek and she nodded. He walked back over to her and got down to her eye level. He brushed a tear away with his thumb and looked into her eyes. It made her really uncomfortable.

“That being said, you can’t let these womanly emotions consume you. You don’t want to end up more like your mother, do you? You know how she went out, I hope you wouldn’t want that,” She shook her head slowly. The corners of his mouth quirked up and he pulled back, turning his back towards her.

“I ought to get back to my studies. I have to plan the next upcoming experiment and make sure everything goes right. I’ll leave you and the baby here-”

“Uh, Papa? Is the experiment for me?” He looked surprised for a second. Guess he forgot that she was almost at that age where she gets her wings.

“Do you want it to be for you?” She nodded eagerly. He glanced over at the crib for a second and back at her. 

“I- yes. Yes, the experiment can be for you. Though, aren’t you a seven? You have to be eight for it,” She thought for a second. With the amount of kids he’s got going on, she doubts that he actually remembers their actual ages. While it was true that she was seven, she wanted to have her wings. If she got her wings, she would have to stay at the hospital for most of the time. She’d be better than Birdy and she’d be able to get away from her.

“No, sir! I’m actually eight, born in 1979,” He looked in thought for a moment, before nodding.

“Alright then. Expect your experiment to be in a week. I’ll pick you up here and drive you to the hospital. Don’t embarrass me infront of my doctors, you need to show them how well you cooperate with them. They’ll like you even more if you show them that,” And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Arial feel happier than ever. She was going to make her Papa proud.