Sorry if this chapter sucks, I'm always so busy with school and band and soccer and by the time I have free time to write, my brain is totally fried. But I'm trying my best! I hope you enjoy it anyway.

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Chapter 7

I started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. This has to be a dream, I kept thinking. Here, sitting right beside me, was my long lost brother. The one that I had prayed for every night, pleading with God to let him come home. I had given up hope a while ago, convinced that he would never return. And here he was.

He sighed deeply. "Yes, Rebecca. It's me."

I didn't know what to do. Hug him? Run away? Scream at him for all that he had done to me?

"I...you...w-what happened?" I asked slowly, referring not only to his reasons for coming back home but also to his appearance.

His eyes started to water as he looked into my eyes. "I lost everything," he replied. "I...I had nowhere else to go."

All of my anger for him completely vanished for that moment and was replaced with sympathy. I cautiously scooted closer to him and wrapped my arms around him. He seemed to relax in my embrace. I smiled, wondering what the people walking by us were thinking. A wealthy, well-groomed girl hugging a homeless man in one of the nicest areas in London was surely a strange site. But I didn't care what they thought. My brother was finally back, and that was all that mattered to me.

But then I remembered something. "Oh Christian, Father disowned you when he found out you had left! He wrote you out of the will!" I said worriedly.

He simply nodded, looking down at the ground solemnly. "I'm not surprised," he stated. He looked into my eyes. "I need your help."

"Yes, anything," I said eagerly.

"I had to sell almost everything I owned just to get here. I thought that maybe there was some hope that Father would take me back and perhaps let me work for the company. But that's not an option now."

I could imagine Father's reaction if Christian came into the house. He would be infuriated.

"I haven't eaten for...awhile," he admitted, looking down at the ground ashamedly. "And I was wondering if maybe you could..."

"Oh! Yes, of course!" I exclaimed, jumping up. "I'll go get you some food right now! And I have some extra money from shopping today, and... here you can have it all!" I shoved the money into his hands.

I could barely see his lips beginning to form a weak smile, amused at my behavior. "Thank you so much. J-Just until I get a job, of course," he said, looking off into the distance sadly.

"What are you going to do?" I asked softly.

He sighed deeply. "I don't know."

"Why don't you write?" I inquired.

"No!" he answered sharply, staring at me with cold eyes. I winced and backed away from him. The angry look in his eyes scared me. "I...I can't write," he said, turning his head away from me again.

"Oh." I was too frightened to ask him why. "I'll...just go get you some food now," I said quickly. I turned and swiftly walked home, keeping myself from looking back at the broken man whom was my brother. Once I arrived home, I excitedly skipped into the kitchen and grabbed all the food I could carry. Christian is back! I kept thinking happily. I snuck out of the house and made my way back to Christian.

Wow, I thought. This morning I was positive that I would never see him again, and now here he is! I tried not to think about the sad look in his eyes and about his small outburst. My brother was finally home, and that was most important. But no matter how optimistic I tried to be, the vision of his emotionless eyes and tired face would always remain in the back of my mind.

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Well, I hope you still like it. Ugh, I still don't know how I'm going to end this story. Please review and tell me if it's worth continuing.