I hate being in between. I hate the fact that I have to weigh things when I know that both sides have a point and they just can’t understand each other. My family is slowly breaking in pieces and I don’t even know how to handle it. I’m not like my wife who is so good in putting broken pieces together. I am still learning how to be a good father and husband all at the same time, and this challenge is just too much for me.

Our lives got twisted the moment we moved here in America and even my kids have changed drastically for some reasons I know not. I’ve realized that maybe pulling them out of their comfort zones is really a bad idea and now that they have acted rude already, I guess this really needs to be solved for I don’t want to have kids who are fearless of their parents and disrespectful.

My daughter Isabella ran away after I confronted her and my two other daughters about the rude treatment that they have planned to their mum. At first I still cannot believe that they were able to plot a plan like this but the moment my wife told me that they had done this before, it suddenly hits me, we actually thought that we have raised our kids well but truth is, there are still miss’s. We should’ve taught them to not plan over something most especially, when it’s just going to mess things up.

“Sir!” a school guard called out and I ran towards him right away.

“We have found your daughter already…she’s just hiding inside the ballet studio” he said and I sighed in relief.

Actually, I’ve looked high and low just to find my daughter and if only I know that she’s in that studio, we should’ve gone home earlier.

My heart is beating at its best while walking towards the ballet studio coz I don’t know how my daughter will take me. I know that I’ve hurt her with my words and I’ve totally shocked her with that confrontation but as a parent, I just did what I have to do. My children have to know that what they’re doing is bad and that their mum is hurt with all the things that they have done.

“Isabella” I ran to her the moment I saw her.

She’s curled up in a ball while sitting on the floor. I can clearly see that she’s scared at what she did for when she looked at me, fear is all I can see in her eyes. I also don’t know where she got the courage to stay in a dark ballet studio when she’s really afraid of the dark. Oh well, maybe your fears will really be washed out when you’re angry.

“Dad!” she hugged me right away.

“Are you alright?” I asked and she gave me a small nod.

“Why did your run away?” I asked and she started crying.

My heart breaks whenever I see my wife or children crying. Their tears make me weak and it’s just so hard to see them in pain.

“Dad…I’m really sorry” that’s all she said and hugged me tightly.

“Look at me baby girl” I pulled out from the hug, cupped her face with both hands and looked straight into her eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked and I know that she wants to say something but she just can’t find the right words to say it out.

“I don’t want mum to work anymore…I want her to just stay at home and be with us…with you…I don’t want her to be sent home by other men…you are the only man that can be with her” she finally answered.

So Isabella is really thinking that her mum is having an affair and she’s cheating on me. Well, I don’t really know where my daughter got this whole idea or maybe she saw her mum arrive last night. But then again, it’s impossible for I’ve tucked them in bed early and they’re already sleeping for sure when _________ arrived.

“How did you come up with the idea that mum is with another guy?” I asked curiously.

“I saw her being sent home by a man….he looks really familiar and I’ve remembered him after some time…I saw him already in Korea and I don’t even know why he’s here in New York…I guess he followed mum or something…I just cannot take that dad…my friends’ parents are separating because their mum or dad are going out with other men or women…and they told me that it’s really hard to be in between…I don’t want to be like them dad….I want our family to stay together…I hate mum because she’s hurting you…the girls and I heard you and mum fighting and the moment I heard you cry last night when you went to our room to sleep…I started making a plan against mum” she said and I can’t believe that I’m hearing these words from a thirteen year old.

I don’t know what to say anymore. All I know is that my daughter who is so innocent in my eyes is now being eaten by reality and she’s seeing what the world is really made of. Now that she’s starting to learn more about life, she’s discovering a lot of things without us knowing and it’s just so disappointing because we are not even there to explain things to her. Now I’ve realized that even if we are so open to each other, there are things that the kids cannot voice out.

“Baby girl” I sit her on my lap and she looked at me straight into my eyes.

“Mum is not going out with another man…that guy is a friend of ours…he’s working in your mum’s company and he drove her home because she can’t go home alone in the middle of the night….I don’t know how you came up with this conclusion…you should’ve asked me about this first before doing rude things to your mum….there is also no need to hate her…and even though she doesn’t have time for us anymore…you shouldn’t hate her…coz Isabella…she’s your mother…and even if you turn this world upside down…it’ll just come down to one thing…and that is…she is your mother….you came out of her…she took care of you ever since you were in her womb and gave you all the love that you need…she doesn’t deserve all the things that you’ve done awhile ago…look…mum is making up for the lost time….she’s juggling a lot of things…not to mention…she’s also pregnant…she’s in a sensitive situation and you acting this way can put the baby’s health at risk” I said and she started tearing up again.

“I’ve been like your mum before as well Isabella…and I’m telling you…it’s really hard to be away from your children even just for