8 years old/ 3rd Grade

My sister and I shared a birthday. As always I was treated like a burden. Grandma then asked Mom is she could take me for the year. I was stoked! I moved in with Grandma and Grandpa. The best part of it was I would get adult attention that I needed. I got a say in activities and I didn't have to play Mom for a bit. I got to watch what I wanted on TV for an hour a day. Grandma and Grandpa would have date nights and it was cool. The hard parts came with school and church. I was so used to living in chaos that the strict routine was hard. Grandma got me into basketball though. Mom of course normally didn't show but Dad did for my games. Grandpa was a teacher in a school so at home he was tough on me about my school work. He just didn't know I wasn't being lazy I just couldn't understand it.

Christmas was coming up and the school asked us to make a list. I could only think of Mom and how she and I both love dogs. I then thought the family could use a dog. So I asked for a dog for my Mom and siblings.

Christmas morning I was at my Mom's. The school and my Grandparents had gotten a dog. I was extremely surprised. My brother named her but then 3 days in decided he didn't like dogs. Her name stuck.

One day on the playground while I was playing alone. A lady approached me. She was super pretty at first I thought she was a teacher. She told me she had a message, "You are not alone." I was shocked as I turned away. As soon as I turned back she had vanished. I proceeded to ask about this teacher just to find nothing. Later I told Grandma and she said she thinks it was an angel. My gut told me she was right.

The same year my Dad's Sister had her daughter. After that my paternal grandmother stopped spoiling me. She would talk about my cousin all the time. Yet again I felt insecure and unseen.

Just as I was settled into this routine Grandma fell ill. Grandpa called Mom and told me he has to send me back to her. I cried and begged him not to send me back to no avail. As my cry's got ignored I thought I had messed up and was being punished. I then thought that I was just never gonna be truthfully wanted.