"But why? We're supposed to stay together no matter what! Are you just going to go back on your promise?

Silence was the only answer the young boy received. His anger only simmered as he stared at the older girl sitting on the bed in front of him. Her fists were clenched together, her lips pressed into a thin line as her eyes fell to the ground.

"I know, but…"

"You know but you're still going to abandon us?" Shaking his head, the younger boy stomped over the girl and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. "What kind of sister are you?"

A fire ignited in the girl's eyes as she grabbed her brother's hand and ripped it away from her. "You have no business touching me like that kid. And don't talk to me like that either. I know what I'm doing, and it's the best for all of us."

"Best for us? So you think leaving is the best action?"

"Yes, I do." Standing to her feet, she brushed the boy away from her as she said, "Do you know how hard it would be for all of us to be adopted together? No family is going to want three new kids, let alone one of them being a teenager. Without me around, you two will have a better chance of sticking together."
"That's the talk of someone who's quit," the boy spat. "If you just had faith in me, you'd trust that I'd be able to get us together."

"What can a kid like you do?"

The boy's frown got deeper as he clenched his fists against his side. He glared at his sister and stomped towards the door. "I can do more than you ever could. Just you wait and see. You'll regret ever leaving us behind."

"I don't doubt that you're smart, but this isn't about smarts. Why can't you just let me go? You don't just have me. You can rely on other people too, you know."

"I don't need anybody else. The only people I need in my life are my family, but you obviously don't want to be with us." Without waiting for a response, the boy walked out of the small room and slammed the door behind him.

The anger that was inside rushed out of her body, and exhaustion replaced it. Letting out a sigh, the girl sat down on the bed once again, and hung her head against her chest. She never wanted to argue, she wished it could have gone better, but with him, it rarely went better.

Looking down at the packed suitcase resting at her feet, the girl wondered if what she was doing was really the right choice. Should she stay? No. She had to go. It was the only option. She couldn't lose her resolve now, not when it was already too late. The only thing that could be done was to move forward, and look to the future. If only her brother could see it that way.

A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts, and with exhaustion dripping from her words, she said, "Come in."

The door slid open slowly, and a small familiar face popped through the crevice. A small smile graced the girl's face when she saw her youngest brother push into the room, but that smile soon fell when she saw him burst into tears.

The tiny boy ran over to her, and she opened her arms so he could jump into them. Wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, she patted his back and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Hey, there's no need to cry. Everything will be okay," she cooed as she tried her best to comfort the crying child.

"Big brother says you're abandoning us. You're not abandoning us right?" he mumbled through his tears. "Please don't go, I want you to stay."

"I'm not abandoning you, I'm just going away for now."

"But why?"

"I don't think you'll be able to understand my decision right now, but in the future you will," she answered. "Because we will see each other again in the future. When you two are adopted together, I'll come and find you."

"But how will you know where to look?" The little boy looked up at her with big eyes, tears still streaking down his cheek. However, the sadness had melted away into curiosity.

"Big sister's intuition," she said playfully as she ruffled the boy's already messy hair. "You just need to have faith that things will work out in the end, and that we will be together again. I know I do. I'll do everything in my power to find you two again, so we can be by each other's side like we are meant to."

"I'll try." The boy hung his head as he whispered, "But I don't think Big Brother has faith."

"I know…" Leaning her chin on the boy's head, the girl sighed as she closed her eyes. "I know how much this has hurt him, but there is nothing that can be done now. When we see each other again, all I can hope is that he will have it in his heart to forgive me…"