It was raining, that's all I remember. If someone had asked me to describe my mother's and stepfather's funerals that's all I could tell them. I don't know who was there, what my brothers and I were wearing, or when I finally left the cemetery. All I know for certain was it was raining.

My mother and father had gotten divorced when I was ten. Then she met Adam when I was twelve and they married the following year. When I was thirteen my brother Payton was born, he was the cutest baby I'd ever seen; with his huge baby blue eyes and big ass ears, he had my grandpa's ears. Then when I was fifteen my other brother Daniel was born; he was the exact opposite of Payton, where Payton was loud and outgoing, Daniel was shy and quite around new people. Then finally there was David, he had been born six months to the day of my parents accident. Now all that's left of this family are the boys and me. Now I had had experience taking care of my brothers, my mother was an attorney for the state, that's how she met Adam he was a defense attorney and I damn good one at that, one of the best in Illinois. So as you can guess my parents were gone most of the time leaving me to take care of my younger brothers, but I never really minded that much. I was an expert at changing diapers by the time I started high school and I had all but perfected my baby don't cry song, shut up it works. I thought I was capable to survive with my brothers and myself for at least awhile but I was wrong. After about a year my parents' and my savings accounts dried up and not even working two jobs could I take care of all the bills that piled up.

Soon child services started harass me saying that if I didn't improve the conditions of my family's living that they'd take my kids away from me. I don't even know when I started referring to the boys as my kids but I felt natural, I mean I had basically taken care of them since they were born. I'd even started to really consider going to live with my grandma down in Dallas, Texas even though she didn't really live in the best place down there and I didn't want the boys growing up surrounded by violence and crime. That was until I got a phone call from someone I hadn't spoken to in almost ten years.

"Hello?" I asked answering the phone. Cradling David in my arms I had the phone tucked between my shoulder and my check.

"Hello is this Tanner?" the voice asked, it sounded familiar but I couldn't place it, but I had a good guess who it was.

"Look if this is about the water bill I told the other lady I'd have it to you guys by tomorrow." I said annoyed that I had to talk about this around the boys.

"No, Tanner its Sam." After he got no reply he spoke again "It's your father."

I almost dropped the phone in my shock. I had to set David in his playpen because talking to my father was going to take all the focus I had. When I still hadn't spoken he started talking again

"Listen I know we haven't spoken in a long time but I heard what happened to Grace and I want to help you." At first I couldn't even speak. I didn't know what he wanted me to say, I didn't even know how he was going to help;

"Yeah I know it's been a long time. What do you mean by help?" I asked walking outside and lighting up a cigarette, I didn't want to boys exposed to second hand smoke.

"I want you to move in with me and Fiona." He said but it sounded more like a question. At first my heart swelled with happiness. Finally someone was going to lift me and the boys…. Wait did he even know about them, sure he could have heard that his ex-wife had died but would he know that she left behind three more sons for him to look after. Before this got any further I had to make sure make my little guys in the house.

"Well first things first Sam, it's not just me anymore. I have three little brothers now and I won't abandon them." I said, this point was not going to be argued either he'd take all of us or none of us.

"Three! Wow Grace always did want a big family." As he talked I got the feeling he was talking more to himself than me. "Well I'll have to talk to Fiona. She's at work right now so is it ok if I call you back tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's fine. " I felt that maybe now that I came with three extra mouths to feed that Sam wouldn't take us in but if that was the case I was still fine with it, I would never in a million years abandon these boys. "And Sam" I added just before he hung up

"Yes?"

"Thank you. Even if you can't take us in it was very nice of you to ask." I said with all the gratitude I could muster.

"No problem kiddo." He said before he hung up the phone. As I stood there I let hope sink in that this was my chance, that I wouldn't fail these kids who relied on me so much.

Finishing my cigarette I walked inside only to be met by Payton sitting on the couch with his arms crossed and Daniel sitting by him holding on to his stuffed alligator. Even now they looked so cute.

"We can't move." Payton yelled finally after staring at me for a couple minutes.

"What?" I asked trying and failing to act dumb.

"We heard you on the phone, we had the other phone." Payton yelled again then proceeded to start grinding his teeth, God I hate when he does that.

"First of all stop grinding your teeth young man, second how many times have I told you to not to listen while I'm on the phone with someone, and third it's not set in stone if we are moving so stop your whining. Now its eight thirty and you have school tomorrow mister man." I say pointing at Payton, then I pointed at Daniel "And you have to head over to aunt Jess's in the morning, so I want both of you upstairs brushing your teeth before I count to five." Before I even started counting Daniel sprinted upstairs but Payton sat there unmoving "One… two… three" he looked to be losing his resolve but he still hadn't moved "Fooour" Payton finally gave up and went upstairs. Giving out an irritated sigh I went over to David's playpen where he lay sleeping with Jed, it was a stuffed doll that my Grandma sent up to him when he was born; it looked just like him I thought, my mom never saw it.

"C'mon little guy." I whispered heaving him up and out of his playpen. Grabbing Jed as an afterthought, David never slept well without him by his side

A few months ago we had to move out of the house, I just couldn't afford it anymore so we moved into a little two bedroom, two story house for rent. It's owned by a good friend of my parents but even then we were struggling. Payton and Daniel had to share and room upstairs so I shared a room with David.

Setting David in his crib I went to the bathroom to shower and change into my night clothes. As I laid down in bed that night looking up at the ceiling wondering if my dad could help us, I mean even if he couldn't move us out there maybe he could send us some money. It doesn't have to be a lot but anything helps, even if he sent a package of diapers a month that was better than nothing. And with these thoughts I passed out into wistful sleep.

So how did you like it? Any comments, concerns, complaints. Tell me everything I really want to know what you guys think of this story. BTW Tanner lives in Chicago his moms name is Grace his dad is Sam BUT NOT SAM ULEY, his stepdad he will call dad a lot but his name is Adam just in case you guys get confused.