On the other side, there was his younger sister, Lily, a 9-year-old with a passion for cartoons and all things colorful. Lily’s shows were filled with talking animals, magical adventures, and catchy theme songs that she could sing along with for hours. She was an expert in the art of negotiation—using her puppy-dog eyes, an occasional tantrum, and the ultimate trump card: “Mom will let me!”
It all started innocently enough. Alex was lounging on the couch, eyes glued to his phone, when his father, Mr. Thompson, sat down beside him with the remote in hand. “Alex, want to watch the game?” he asked, holding up the remote.
Just as Alex reached for it, a small voice piped up from the other side of the room. “No, I want to watch my show!” It was Lily, who had been waiting patiently for her favorite cartoon, “Magical Fairies and Talking Dogs,” to come on.