by Isabella Grace | illustrated by Cheryl Kugler

My family was in the backyard gathered around a large box. A few weeks before, my brother and I had found a caterpillar. We had built him a home in a big box and had watched him change into a chrysalis and then into a butterfly. It was amazing. We had all gathered to release our butterfly into the wild.

My brother opened the box and the butterfly flew out.

“No fair!” I protested. “How come Andrew got to release the butterfly?”

“Sorry Rosa,” my brother said, “I didn’t expect him to fly out so fast.”

I went inside. I didn’t feel like watching the butterfly anymore. I went upstairs to sulk in my room.

Later I heard my family in the kitchen. I went to talk to them. They were eating a snack. My sister Alana was eating the last green apple.

“No fair!” I said. “Why does Alana get the last apple?”

My mom put her arm around me. “Let’s go talk in your room,” she said as she led me upstairs. We sat on my bed. My mom said, “You’ve been pretty upset today about things being unfair.”

“It isn’t fair that Andrew and Alana get things that I don’t,” I told my mom. “I just want things to be fair for all of us.”

“Are you sure?” my mom asked. “Because last weekend when you and I went to the mall, it didn’t bother you that you got new clothes and your brother and sister didn’t.