Why don’t they say ‘I love you’? Those words are foreign to me now. I heard my father say it to me once before bed, a long time ago. I cried all night long. I long for them to tell me those words, to hold me in their arms and let me cry all my stress away. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve said ‘give me a hug!’ with a fake happy smile on. Sometimes they let me, sometimes they don’t. Both times, my heart breaks. I can’t cry in front of them though. Aren’t you supposed to feel safe with your mom? I feel weary and guarded, like I absolutely cannot allow them to see any weakness.