Taylan sat by herself, watching as everyone marveled over something her sister, Madison, showed them. She scowled as, like always, her sister was praised, and she was ignored. The two girls were both the daughters of Alex McLean, who was better known as A.J. of the Backstreet Boys. Madison, who was seven, was only a year older than Taylan, who had just recently turned six. Though they seemed to have a large family, in reality, it was just them and their father. Their mother had taken off and disappeared, only a week after Taylan had been born.

“Look Daddy!” Madison shouted, showing him her magic trick again. They weren’t allowed to shout indoors, unless there was something wrong.

Taylan scowled when she realized her Daddy wasn’t going to scold her sister for shouting. She always got scolded for shouting – so she felt. Wasn’t fair her sister could get away with shouting and she couldn’t.

A.J. smiled at his oldest daughter. “I see you. That’s very good, Baby.”

Madison beamed with delight and ran over to Uncle Nick, for help with her next magic trick. Funny how she never once thought to ask her sister if she wanted to help. And Taylan did – kind of.

Taylan finished colouring her picture, and got up to go show her Daddy. “Daddy,” she called softly, standing next to where he sat. “Daddy. Daddy, look!”

“Hold on, T,” A.J. told her, not even bothering to look at the picture she’d drawn for him. “MJ’s showing us her magic tricks.”

Taylan sighed, and instead of waiting, trudged back to her paper and crayons. She knew what to do! She’d draw a picture for Brian! He always dropped everything for her. Always! She sat back down, and started to draw another picture. She was in the middle of drawing, when she suddenly had to go to the bathroom. She headed upstairs, after seeing that the downstairs one was occupied already. She reached the top of the stairs – and just her luck – saw that the upstairs one was occupied as well. She sighed and started back down the stairs. Just as she hit bottom, Uncle Howie came out of the bathroom. She spotted her sister then – she was watching her and realized where she was headed.

The two girls both darted for the bathroom – the older one beating the younger one by cheating.

Taylan banged on the door urgently. “Madison! Lets me in! I hafta pee!” She yelled.

“NO!” Madison yelled back. “I GOTS HERE FIRST!”

“YOU DON’TS EVEN GOTTA GO!” Taylan accused. She heard her sister snicker.

“YES I DO!” Madison shouted through the door.

“NO YOU - !” Taylan trailed off, as her eyes widened. She was wetting her pants – right then and there!

Madison decided to open the door then, and came out. “Baby!” She said, seeing that her sister’s small bladder had gotten the best of her – Again. Taylan was usually fine – as long as she got to the bathroom on time – OR wasn’t sleeping; she always wet herself at night.

“Meanie!” Taylan grumbled. “You dids that’s on purpose!”

Madison smirked, then skipped back into the living room. She knew she’d be able to weasel her way out of trouble, if her sister tattled. Sometimes she didn’t even have to say anything – her Daddy would take her side because she was the innocent one.

Taylan peeked her head into the living room, and was partially relieved her Daddy wasn’t in there with Uncle Brian, Uncle Nick, and Uncle Howie. But where was he and Uncle Kevin? She made her way to the kitchen and peered in – there she found both of them. She quietly went in and over to her Daddy, who was in the middle of talking to Uncle Kevin.

“Daddy!” She said softly. “Daddy!”

A.J. ignored her and kept on talking, which only made his youngest daughter more determined to get his attention. “Daddy! Daaad-dy!”

“Taylan, can’t you see I’m talking to Uncle Kevin? You know better than to interrupt!” A.J. snapped. His look and tone softened, upon looking at her, and seeing she was about to cry. “What is it, Baby?”

Taylan glanced at Uncle Kevin, and felt embarrassed. “I wets my pants,” she whispered. She looked at Kevin again, but heard her father sigh, and looked back up at him.

“T, you know you’re supposed to go to the bathroom if you think you have to go,” A.J. reminded her. “This way you don’t wet yourself so much.”

“I did tries!” Taylan insisted, as she had tried to make it. It was her sister who’d made sure she hadn’t. “It was full!”

A.J. stood, picking her up. “Baby, you have to try harder for Daddy. Please?” He gave her a pleading look. He hated cleaning up after her all the time.

“I try really hard, Daddy,” Taylan told him. “MJ beats me to its, an’ she didn’ts even hafta go!” She hated wetting her pants – but it wasn’t like she’d asked to b blessed with a small bladder. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t control it. She was doing the best she could!

“Taylan, don’t go accusing your sister again,” A.J. scolded. “She’s not to blame.” He didn’t believe Madison would do such a thing, as she’d been told how important it was for Taylan to get to the bathroom if she had to go. Also, he’d never seen her do it, and knew how much Taylan didn’t like having a small bladder.

“Buts she dids!” Taylan exclaimed, as he carried her into her room. She was starting to get mad that he didn’t believe her. She didn’t know why she even bothered to tattle, as he never believed or listened or anything!

A.J. set her down on her bed, then went over to her dressed to get her a change of pants and underwear. “Maybe Daddy should get you some ‘Goodnights’ to wear, instead of underwear,” he stated, giving her a look. He’d originally planned on that, but hadn’t gotten them, because she’d made a huge deal out of it. She’d clearly stated she didn’t want to wear anything that resembled a diaper. What he didn’t know was that Madison and a few others all ready called her a baby – and that she was afraid of actually being one, by wearing the ‘Goodnights’.

“All right. Up.” Taylan stood up on her bed, like she’d been told to. She helped her Daddy slip her wet pants and underwear off, and her clean ones on. She was surprised he even knew her well enough to grab her Scooby-Doo ones. She thought because Madison was the pet, her Daddy wouldn’t know what she liked too. But somehow, he always seemed to know.

A.J. carried his youngest back downstairs and was relieved to see that someone else had cleaned her urine up. He entered the living room, and set her down, as Madison ran over to him. Taylan’s scowl went unseen. It figured he put her down, and replaced her with Madison. He loved Madison more! It just wasn’t fair!

Taylan returned to her paper and crayons again, once more sitting down to draw. She finished Brian’s picture and ran over to him. “Brian! Brian!” She said excitedly, waving the picture in his face. “Look Brian!” Now, though she called all the other guys Uncle, then their actual names, she never called Brian, Uncle Brian, as he was her favourite. Madison did the same with Nick, only calling the other guys her Uncles.

“Look!” Madison suddenly shouted. “Brian! Daddy! Look! I can do its now!” Taylan knew her sister was trying to steal the attention she wanted – and succeeded.

“Not now Taylan,” Brian said, not even glancing at what she held in her hand. “Madison finally got her trick right.” He didn’t notice his little buddy’s eyes welling up with tears. Nor did he notice the immense hurt written across her small face.

Taylan ran back over to her spot on the floor in tears. She couldn’t believe that Brian – of all people – loved Madison more. And after he’d promised he’d never forget her. Ever! She eyed the wall, her crayons, then the wall again. She made her decision, and set to work. She was about half-way done, she someone finally noticed what she was doing. She was finally going to get some attention – the wrong kind of attention – but attention all the same.

“Taylan Lavender!” A.J. said sternly. “Drop that crayon!” He’d been surprised to see her colouring on the wall, when both girls knew it wouldn’t be tolerated. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” He demanded.

“Colouring Daddy.” Taylan said innocently, trying hard not to smile. “I makes the wall pretty.” She knew it was wrong, and she’d probably get a time-out, but at least she’d have attention for a few moments. She didn’t like making her Daddy mad all the time, but it seemed to be the only way she could get his attention. Even if the attention was negative.

“You know better T!” A.J. stated, noticing she seemed to be about to smile. “This is nothing to smile about Young Lady!”

“Yes, it is, Daddy,” Taylan said sweetly, though being cheeky. “I gots your attention.” She figured by saying that, she’d be able to keep herself out of trouble like Madison always did.

“This is not the way to get my attention!” A.J. snapped, picking her up. “You’re lucky you’re getting a time-out, and not a smack on your butt!” Now, if there was one thing A.J. refused to do in life, it was to spank his little girls. Oh, sure he always threatened too – and had come close to it once – but he never had. He didn’t have the heart to – spanking them would be too painful – for him. He carried Taylan up to her room, and sat her in the chair that was still in the corner from her last time-out. He set the timer, placed it high up on her shelf, and left the room.

Taylan scowled, and glared way up at the timer. She was tempted to climb the shelf, but remembered what had happened the last time she’d done that. It had been the day their Daddy had told them they were moving to Florida. She hadn’t wanted to come – but Brian – her Brian – had promised to drop everything and come play if she needed him. Well, she needed him now – but where was he? Oh, that’s right – downstairs watching Madison instead! It was not fair that everyone loved Madison more than her. It just wasn’t!

She’d show them! She would! She got up out of her chair, and wrote on a piece of paper, in crayon.

Daddy loves MJ. I loves Daddy.
Brian loves MJ. I loves Brian.
I loves you. You loves MJ.

She finished her note, and stuck it in her chair. Then, after grabbing her piggy bank and stuffed duck, she left her room. And if she thought that was easy, it was even easier to sneak outside – Everyone loved to watch MJ.

Once he heard the timer ding, A.J. went up to get Taylan from her room. Imagine her surprise when he found a note, and not her, in her chair. He flew back down the stairs, sheer panic written across his face. “Guys, she’s gone.”

“What?” Brian said. “She can’t be! We would’ve seen her!”

A.J. showed them all the note, and went over to see what was on the papers she’d been drawing on. His tears fell even more, when he picked up a picture with his name on it. The picture of the paper was identical to the one she’d drawn on the wall. It was then he realized what she’d wanted all along – she wanted him to see her picture, and to be praised too. He spotted the drawing for Brian, and turned to glare at him, when he saw the tears stains upon it.

“Break any promises lately, Brian” he asked, as Brian groaned.

“Where would she go?” Nick asked.

“Should we call the cops?” Howie wanted to know.

A.J. just shook his head. “Watch MJ, please guys. I know where T went.”

He left the house and immediately headed for the ice cream shop at the end of the block. He knew Taylan loved her ice cream – he knew his youngest daughter quite well – even if she didn’t think he did.

He gave a relieved sigh, when he saw her propped up on a stool, eating a chocolate sundae. He went and sat next to her. “I’m sorry, Baby. I do love you.”

Taylan looked up at her Daddy and smiled. That was all she’d wanted to hear.

“I loved your drawing too, T,” A.J. said smiling back. “It was very pretty. Daddy’s going to put it up on the fridge.”

Taylan beamed proudly, and climbed into his lap. She snuggled into his as he held her tight. “Loves Daddy….An’ my ice cream….”

A.J. chuckled, kissing her head as she resumed eating her sundae. He sat there, her in his lap, raking his fingers through her hair as she ate. He was happy and relieved all at the same time, that he hadn’t lost her for good. He knew if he didn’t keep a better eye on her in the future, one day soon he could very well end up losing her for good. And he did not want to lose either of his little girls. Ever!