#confession i completely forgot how to spell wednesday right when i started making this post and panicked for like a minute

[0vergrowngraveyard]

random wip wednesday thing! sonic and vanilla having a deep conversation post frontiers edition

”I just…” Sonic stared down at his hands helplessly before he sighed, “I just thought that maybe I’ve been in his life long enough to…I don’t know, reverse any damage they may have caused. I mean, he barely remembers anything about his life before he met me so…”

Vanilla hummed as she considered the hedgehog in front of her and his words, “Well, I don’t know much about this particular subject, but I do know how important it is for young children to receive parental affection and care. It's a very formative time for them and that neglect can have devastating effects on the child later on in life.”

She paused for a brief moment before continuing, “When I was pregnant with Cream, I remember speaking to a few mothers to get some insight and listen to other’s experiences. One of their stories always stuck out to me.” Something about her gaze turned sad, her grip on her mug tightening, “One of the ladies told me about how she didn’t receive much affection when she was younger and how she was using her experience with that as a motivator to be the best mom she possibly could. I remember her mentioning that it almost felt like a piece of her was missing and she was angry for a long time.”

Sonic eyes widened as she went on, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the absence of his parents is starting to weigh on Tails. And, while you’ve been a wonderful guardian for him, I don’t think there’s much that can truly fill in the gap that they left behind.”

Vanilla’s words hung like a weight over Sonic that threatened to fall and break him into a million pieces any second. Had Tails really been struggling with something like that? The kit never told him about anything of the sort and never seemed to even think about his parents. Hell, most days Sonic forgot that Tails hadn’t always been with him. That his last name didn’t just come from nowhere and there are people out there who are biologically related to the kit.

He’d forget that there was a time his little brother wasn’t in his life.

That no one was, really.

Something else suddenly started to enter his mind, something that forced its way in and took over like a parasite. Any thoughts about his little brother were buried in an instant and Sonic felt himself tense. One single question bounced around his skull, trying to escape its confines and make itself known to the rabbit sitting across from him.

If that’s how that lady and Tails felt, then…

“Why don’t I feel like that?”