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Parvana had always trusted her perfectionism, but now every meticulous detail felt like a dagger to her heart—a constant reminder of the joy she had lost. She always took pride in her perfectionism, but that has caused some friction in some of her friendships, especially when working on projects. Her younger sister, Saima, recently took up a volunteer project at the local library in which she had to submit an art piece for a poster. This was supposed to be fun for her. She had the chance to showcase her special interest for all the library goers to see. Saima would often go to Parvana for advice on how to improve her piece and make it stand out. At first, the tips were gentle suggestions: which colors sang best together, or where the drawing needed a little more light. But slowly, Parvana’s well-intentioned guidance twisted into relentless nitpicking, each comment a small cut that stained what had once been a shared joy. It was only natural for an older sister to want to help her younger sister, but even she knew she took it too far. But when she went to apologize, Saima wasn’t having any of it.
“I’ve had it with you!” she exclaimed as tears blurred her eyes. “This was supposed to be fun! How do you make wanting to show off fairytales so… so… MISERABLE?!”
Parvana kept her calm and replied, “I know, I didn’t mean for it to go that far.” But her words fell on deaf ears.
“You’re the veteran with this kind of stuff! You’re supposed to help me shine, not tear me down! Everything you said made me feel like nothing I did was enough. It’s not just about my art; it’s about you never letting me be who I truly am.”
This seemed to have struck a nerve in Parvana. “I’m trying to make you better! I just don’t understand why you can’t see that,” she said, reining back the indignation in her voice.
“Better? BETTER?! You SERIOUSLY expect me to feel BETTER? After I was putting in HOURS in this drawing and all you had to give were nitpicks! Stop acting so holier-than-thou when literally you are ANYTHING BUT!”
Saima looked like she had more to say. Things far more scathing than they need to be for this argument. She turned on her heel and simply said with a sigh, “I’m gonna get some air.”
“You do that,” her sister replied as she exited the room.
…
…
Minutes stretched on, each second heavier than the last, and still Saima hadn’t returned. If Parvana knew anything about her sister, it’s that she was a stoic. It usually didn’t take long for her to clear her head and come back to the present. The silence was suffocating. Parvana couldn’t take any more of this. She sped to the still open front door. She hoped that she would find her sister on the front step still fuming, but the knot in her stomach did not allow her to believe it. And it turned out, her gut feeling was right. Under the cloak of the night sky, the only things visible were the street lamps illuminating the houses on the block as well as a couple of neighbours bringing in groceries. In her growing desperation, she asked them if they saw where her sister went. Their puzzled, blank looks deepened her anxiety, each uncertain shake of a head tightening the knot in her stomach further. The weight of the unknown was unbearable, and when the neighbors finally called the police, the words “missing person” echoed in her mind like a dark, foreboding drumbeat.
...
Everything after that was a blur. Parvana’s mind replayed the harsh words she’d flung at her sister—a moment she wished she could erase. Now, as unshed tears burned behind her eyes and a numbing chill crept into her fingertips, she couldn’t help but curse herself. Why was she so stupid? None of that needed to happen.
Of course, her distress didn’t go unnoticed.
“Parvana? What’s wrong?” Lucifer asked. Lucifer’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. She glanced up, meeting the concerned gaze of the demon before her. That’s right. She was supposed to help Lucifer regain his memories. For a split second, she wished she could confide every regret, every hurtful word that had left a scar. “There’s something I need to get off my chest,” she finally admitted, her voice trembling with unspoken remorse. “So much has happened that I’ve been too scared to speak up until now.”
Lucifer looked at her quietly, trying to find the right words. Finally, he said, “Alright. You can talk about whatever you need once we get home.” At his reassurance, Parvana felt her chest become a bit lighter. If anyone should know about sibling arguments going too far, it would be Lucifer and his brothers. Even if Lucifer’s memories were shrouded in darkness now, she knew he’d hear her out. And his brothers would step in as well.
Parvana forced a small smile and nodded as she walked beside Lucifer. As chaotic as the past few weeks have been, Parvana felt her burdens became a bit lighter.