My brothers and I made our way down the stairs, making sure to be quiet so Matilda and the visitor wouldn't here us. Ian was at the front of the group, Sean behind him, myself behind Sean, and Gwydion straggling along behind me, being fearful about Matilda finding us down here and giving us a lecture and maybe a whipping. He didn't like lectures or whippings. Neither did I.

We searched the bottom floor, Ian knowing perfectly well that Matilda wouldn't let anyone upstairs with us being up there. We soon found where Matilda had taken the stranger. They were in our father's study on a side hallway. We heard voices coming from it, one sounded like Matilda and the other sounded like a rather old bloke. We all went up to the door and put our ears to it, straining our ears to hear the secrets they were telling in the small room.

"..sorry, but they've got no living relatives, none at all. Their mother was an only child and their father did have a brother, but he died during childhood and both sets of grandparents have been dead for years."

"You seem to be right madam. Well that settles it, they'll be put up for adoption, sent to foster homes more likely than not."

"I really do wish I could take them in. I've been with the family for years, ever since Ian was four. But I barely have any room in my little apartment for one child. Oh those poor dears. Mr. Thomas, will the boys be able to be together, they won't get separated now, will they?"

"...I'm afraid that is what most likely will happen."

At this Gwydion let out a small cry that was muffled by Ian's hand. We couldn't get caught, not yet.

"It will be very unlikely that they will all be in the same foster homes and extremely more unlikely that even two of them will be adopted into the same family. Let's see, the littlest ones will have the best chances of being adopted. Now, what are their names...", there was a rustling of papers from what I could here.

"Arthur and Gwydion.", said Matilda's voice. "Arthur's seven and Gwydion has just turned eight.

"Ah yes, them. Well, they have the best chances to be adopted. The twelve year old, Sean. It could go either way for him. But Ian... not many people are willing to adopt a sixteen year old boy. No, he'll most likely be in a foster home until he's eighteen. Then he'll leave the home, go searching for a job and a college and then find a place to settle down."

There was a moment of silence after the man said that and I was having a battle within myself. ***We'll be separated?*** I kept thinking over and over again. How could that be true, how could anyone do that to us, to me? Sure Ian was a sadistic ass hole who's favorite game was to terrorize me, Sean was a bastard who wouldn't do a thing for me, and even though Gwydion was a year older than me, he was a crybaby whom I had to protect, but they were my brothers. To be suddenly torn away from them was not just mean, it was cruel, evil.

Footsteps on the stairs led me out of my thoughts. Ian was walking up the stairs, cigarette in one hand and lighter in another. He was going upstairs to think. We all left too, not bothering to hear the rest of the conversation.

That night, as I was lying in my bed for the last time I though over the events of what went on after we left the stranger and Matilda. Sean, Gwydion, and I had gone back to the play room. Ian was not there. My best guess was that he had gone back to his room. We stayed there until Matilda came back up after the stranger with the brief case had left. She had come up to tell us what would happen, but she could tell by the looks of our faces that we already knew. The only things she said was "supper's ready" and "find Ian". I found him, naturally since I was the only one who went to search for him, but again it was my job. We had all made a silent agreement of some sort years ago. I'm not sure how it started, but everyone knew that I took care of Ian and he took care of me and that Sean took care of Gwydion and Gwydion took care of Sean. Ian was in his bedroom, sitting on the windowsill, smoking. It was dusk and with no light on in his room, it was getting dark fast.

"Ian, it's time for dinner." I said.

For a moment it seemed as though he hadn't hear me. Then, slowly, he looked away from the setting sun to my small, sad figure in the doorway.

"Come 'ere." he said, softly.

I was reluctant at first, but then slowly, I made my way over to him. He flicked his cigarette out the window and the picked me up, placing me on his lap, one hand on my back and the other on my head. He held me to him, closely, his hand forcing my head onto his chest. I lied limp on his lap like that for what felt like an eternity, his breathing and the chirps of crickets outside the only things I could here.

Suddenly I felt him get up and place me on the floor.

"Yer gettin' heavy boyo. I'm not sure if you need any dinner." he said, a wicked grin on his face and an easy going look in his eyes. It made me laugh. I was the smallest of them all, even when they were my age, they were still bigger than I when I was that age. We went down stairs and ate our last supper together. It was chicken and string beans. I remember it as the best meal I ever had in that house.

I was rustled out of my thoughts as I felt movement on my left side. I looked over and there was Gwydion, his red cheeks and tear streaked face greeting mine.

"Can I sleep with you Arthur?" he choked out, trying not to cry.

My poor older brother was barely able to think about not having his brothers with him. He tried to be brave for me, for I was younger than him, but he was not very good at it.

"Course you can Gwydion."

He climbed right up next to me and we cuddled together clutching each other, afraid to let go, fully knowing we would have to say goodbye tomorrow. Some few moments later, there were creaks of footsteps and I could see from the bed the silhouette of my other brother, Sean, coming in. His face looked like stone, with maybe a little aggravation etched on it. He climbed into the bed without saying a word, sleeping on Gwydion's other side, holding him with one hand and taking his other hand and holding my shoulder. He didn't want to let go either. He didn't want us to break apart.

I drifted off to sleep after sometime. In the middle of the night with the moon showering us in radiant, white light I was awoken by movement on the other side of me, facing the window. I cracked my eyelids open still heavy with sleep, and saw my eldest brother, Ian. He had on a white T-Shirt and a pair of jeans. He was getting into bed on my side. I mumbled something as he got into bed and encircled me with his arms, my face pressed to his chest. I breathed in his scent. It smelled like tobacco and thistle. He ran his fingers through my hair, caressing me. I started to cry.

Soon it was morning. We had to leave.