My eyes widened as my breath caught in my throat. The person who stood before me wasn't my Mother, but my Big Brother. He had both arms resting at the back of his head, looking at me with that all-too-familiar smile. I opened my mouth to say something, but the words tangled together and spilled out in an incoherent stutter.
"I– you– what– how…"
My Big Brother cocked his head slightly as he watched me panic. He didn't laugh or make fun of me; he just waited patiently. After what felt like a very long time, I finally managed to force the words out.
"Wh-what are you doing here, Big Brother?"
He blinked at me, genuinely confused.
"Hmm? Oh! I just got home from kindergarten. When I went into the house, I couldn't find you anywhere, so I came looking for you!"
My breath caught all over again. I stared at him with wide eyes, blinking repeatedly. No matter how many times I blinked, he didn't disappear. He remained standing there with the same carefree air he always had.
Big Brother was… looking for me?
My chest tightened as a strange warmth spread through it. Before I could make sense of the feeling, my Big Brother's gaze fell on my tear-stained cheeks. He froze. His carefree demeanour dimmed ever so slightly.
My Big Brother let out a sigh that I didn't quite understand and walked towards me. The footsteps this time didn't echo through the floors like the ones from earlier. They were quiet. Gentle. With each step he took, the tension in my body slowly melted away. When he was only a step away, he bent down and wiped the tears from my eyes.
"Geez, what are you cryin' for this time?" he said lightly.
"Your Big Brother will listen to you!"
His smile reached all the way to his eyes. The moment I saw it, I finally relaxed. Somehow, that smile always made everything feel better, no matter how upset I was. I sniffled softly before speaking.
"I-I couldn't solve the problem Dad gave me. I used all the paper, but I still couldn't do it. I felt like crying, so I ran into the washroom because I was afraid I'd wake Mom up… but then I heard footsteps, and I thought Mom was coming, so I got scared…"
After wiping away the last of my tears, he began patting my head. His voice was loud, yet steady and reassuring.
"Well, don't worry, your Big Brother will help you!"
My arms felt weak beneath me, but that didn't bother me right now. I couldn't take my eyes off him, as if I couldn't believe what was happening. Why would he—or anyone—help me?
My voice trembled as I spoke.
"R-really? But… why?"
A slight frown creased his face.
"Hm? Whaddya mean why?"
He tilted his head.
"It's because I want to! If my lil sis needs help, then I'll help her! What other reason do I need?"
Before I could say anything else, he gently grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Without wasting another moment, he turned around and started leading me out of the washroom, still holding on tightly.
"Cmon! We don't have all day! Let's get it done quickly and then play!"
I watched his back as he led the way toward the dinner table. His steps were light and carefree, and yet, somehow, I felt completely safe. That was when a realization finally settled in, and I stopped walking.
Big Brother turned around, concern flickering across his face.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
He asked me something, but I couldn't hear him.
Ah… so this is what it is…
I clutched my chest tightly. The warmth inside me felt like it was about to burst. I didn't know what to do with it. It was the first time… I've ever felt this way before.
Big Brother… has always protected me.
No matter where I am, or what I'm doing—he always finds me. He always helps me.
I just… never noticed until now.
I squeezed his hand, catching his attention. As always, he didn't rush me. He just waited.
I looked him in the eyes and gave him the biggest smile I could manage.
"Thank you, Big Brother! "
I paused, took a deep breath, clutched my chest even tighter, then pushed out with all my heart.
"I love you!"
His frown vanished, replaced by a look of surprise. He stared at me for a moment before a bashful, yet crooked grin tugged at his lips.
"So you can smile after all! That's the lil sis I like to see!"
He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the top of my head before turning back around.
"Well, we wasted enough time. Full speed ahead!"
He charged forward.
Even though he couldn't see me, I nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
Together, we returned to the dinner table. It took a while, but with my Big Brother's help, I managed to solve the problems that Dad gave me.
What surprised me the most, though, was that when we were done, there were no tear stains nor black smudges anywhere on the paper.