There was no doubt about it that the one person Callie loved the most was her big brother, Anthony. She loved it when they went out for ice cream, went for drives in his old Subaru, and whenever he let her tag along with his friends. Though the connection was strong, the age gap wouldn't go unnoticed by most. You could call Callie a miracle. Having come at a time when her parents, Colleen and Donald Jacobs, had completely given up their hopes of ever having another child. Having spent years trying only to be met with disappointment. It took time, but they eventually accepted that they were only meant to have one child.

Colleen could still remember when she looked at the pregnancy test. The way her stomach flipped. After taking the first test, she drove to the pharmacy and picked up two more. When the third one was positive, she knew then that it was confirmed. She was already entering her mid forties and Donald was already pushing fifty. How could they raise a child at those ages? Anthony was entering his teen years and Colleen wondered how he would handle a baby being around. When she told Donald, it was not in a celebration manner. When it was only the two of them left at the dinner table, her eyes never left her dinner plate as she said in a very 'matter of fact' tone, "I'm pregnant by the way."

Silence followed. When she finally looked up, Donald was just staring at her. His face in disbelief. However, it would only be a moment later when his lips would form into a smile. "Oh my god!" He rose from his seat, feeling overjoyed, and wrapped his arms around Colleen, bringing her into a warm embrace and kissing her softly. "This can't be real," he said in disbelief, feeling it was too good to be true. "I mean all these years we've spent trying and when we stop, it finally happens!"

Colleen forced a smile, masking her emotions and wanting her husband to hold onto this moment. When they told Anthony, he wasn't sure how to feel at first but as the months went by and they got closer to Callie's arrival, he began to like the idea of being a big brother. And when he finally met her, the bond that they would share would be like no other. Anthony made it his duty to protect his little sister at all costs.

Colleen knew this baby was supposed to be their miracle, and maybe that was true for Donald and, somewhere deep within, for her too. For the time of her pregnancy and the first few years of Callie's life, she really tried to connect with Callie. She quit her job as a nurse to be a stay at home mom. She watched her take her first steps and say her first words, dropped her off at her first day of school. Helped her with her homework. She did everything a mom is supposed to do. But Colleen had a secret. Every time she looked at Callie, and every time she saw Callie and Donald together, she was overtaken with guilt. As the years went by, that guilt would only grow stronger.

When Anthony arrived home that day, he saw his father sitting on the couch. The silence speaking a thousand words as he walked up and all Donald did was hand him a hand written note. When he read it, denial ran through him as, even though he knew his mother's hand writing and also saw where she signed it, he still wondered who wrote it. He stared at it long after he read it. The world felt as though it were caving in.

"She's not mine," Donald whispered.

Anthony didn't know what to say or do. He turned and made his way out of the room and searched for his sister. He found her playing in her room, oblivious to what was taking place. He sat down. "What are you playing?" he asked, trying to keep his emotions at bay.

"Tea party with Rabbity and Berry the Bear!" Callie pointed to her rabbit and bear plushies. She reached over and grabbed her T-Rex plushie, Mr. Rex, and sat him next to Rabbity. "You and Mr. Rex can join too!" She handed Anthony and Mr. Rex each a tea cup. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes... I would love some tea." Anthony failed this time, and Callie watched as his lips quivered and a few tears ran down his cheeks.

"Is something wrong?" Callie asked concerned.

Anthony reached over and pulled Callie into a hug. He buried his head into her shoulder and let out a sob. Callie was confused so she stayed quiet.

Donald said he was going out and that he would be back later. For dinner that night, Anthony heated up leftover chicken and cooked some carrots for him and Callie. Anthony couldn't take his eyes off Callie. His heart was broken and he knew when she got older, she would understand what was happening. He didn't know how to respond when Callie asked where their mom was.

"She'll be back later," was all he could say.

Weeks went by and Donald would hardly come home and when he did, he was drunk and abusive. This left Anthony as Callie's caretaker. Midterms were around the corner and he was also working full time at the local grocery store. Stressed would be an understatement. He was really trying to juggle it all. Callie needed someone and he couldn't fail her.

When he arrived to pick Callie up from school, he was already well aware that he was late. They were short staffed at work and he couldn't leave until an hour after his shift. Callie was waiting outside with her teacher, Mrs. Riverson. "I'm sorry I'm late. It was only me and two other cashiers at work." Anthony began to apologize as Callie entered the car, carrying a bag containing Valentine's cards and sweets from her classroom.

"Is everything okay at home?" Mrs. Riverson asked. "It's just that it's usually your mom who does carpool and I haven't seen her in weeks."

"Yes, she went back to work full time and I've been helping her out," Anthony lied.

"Oh alright," Mrs. Riverson said. "Well tell her I said hi and that I'll see her at the parent-teacher conference on Thursday."

"I will." Anthony nodded. He glanced at Callie through the rearview mirror, who had grown quiet ever since this nightmare began. He missed the talkative Callie who would tell you everything about anything. "How was school?" he tried. "Any secret admirers I need to have a talk with?" He tried to get a smile out of her.

"It was good." Callie gave the quick response that she was seldom to.

The bills piled up and as the chores were neglected, the house was a mess. There was a tightness in his chest when one day Anthony realized that it had been two weeks since their father had come home. He spent hours calling local bars asking if a 'Donald Jacobs' was there. He wondered if he should call the police but was worried that Callie would be taken away. He reasoned with himself that surely his father would come home. But two weeks turned into a month.

Anthony felt like a failure as he packed some of Callie's things into a backpack. Things were just getting too hard and he felt he wasn't equipped to handle this. Callie deserved someone who could give her anything and that person just wasn't him. Callie was crying when he knelt down to her level. "Remember me and you will always be a pack. We'll always be Anthony and Callie. I want you to listen to your foster parents and stay strong for both of us. I love you and always will."

"I love you too," Callie said through tears.

Anthony reached into Callie's backpack and pulled out a heart shaped piece of paper that he had cut out of red construction paper. In the center was a photo of him and Callie. "I made this for you last night."

Callie looked down, inspecting the handcrafted item.

"When you're sad and missing me just look at this paper heart. It will give you the strength to go on."

Callie didn't say anything. It didn't feel real as they got in his old Subaru, the one that held so many memories between them, and drove until they reached the hospital. The nightmare feeling unending.