"We finally did it!"
Big Brother leaned back in his chair and stretched, letting out a relieved groan. I remained completely still, my eyes fixed on the paper in front of me, my mind blank.
We… we actually finished it.
I turned towards my Big Brother, my vision blurring as tears welled up.
"Th–"
Before I could say anything else, Big Brother flashed a wide smile at me and patted my head.
"You don't have to thank me, it's my job to help you after all! Instead of saying thank you, let's just celebrate! You did a good job, lil sis. I'm proud of you!"
A single tear slid down my cheek. Then another. And another.
Wh-what's happening?
I quickly wiped my cheek and stared at the moisture on my fingertip.
Am I… crying?
Why?
I should be happy right now. So why am I feeling this way?
I looked up at Big Brother, desperate for an answer, my voice breaking as it left my mouth.
"B-Big Brother… what's h-happening to me?"
His bright smile softened. Somehow, his eyes looked older than they had before. His hand that was once on my head slid down to my shoulder. He held onto it with the same firmness as Dad's. But, for some reason, I wasn't scared.
"There's nothing wrong with you, lil sis," he said gently.
"You're just crying."
My lips quivered.
"B-but why? I should be happy right now, not sad. But then why am I crying? All you did was help me and make me happy. I– I don't—understand…"
I lowered my head, tears spilling onto my lap. I didn't want Big Brother to see me like this. I didn't want him to think that he made me sad or that I'm ungrateful.
And more than anything—
I don't want him to hate me!
My body trembled as I cried silently, fists clenched tight against my legs, eyes squeezed shut.
Please don't hate me, please don't hate me! Please don't hate m-
Suddenly, a comforting warmth enveloped my entire body.
What…?
Before I could process it, a voice reached me through the darkness.
"Geez, you don't have to be scared, y'know. It's just me."
It was… Big Brother's voice.
It wasn't angry. It wasn't disappointed. It was steady. It was kind. It was… gentle.
He isn't… mad at me?
I took a deep breath, then opened my eyes. A shocked gasp took the air out of my lungs.
Big Brother was… hugging me.
I don't know what it was, but it felt like something inside me broke. I clutched the back of his shirt and cried into his shoulder. My tears soaked through the fabric, but he never let go.
"Big Brother! Big Brother!" I wheezed through shaky breaths.
"There, there, it's going to be okay, lil sis. I'm here for you!"
He gently patted me on the back and leaned my head into his chest. He took a quick breath before speaking softly.
"It's okay if you are confused now. There's more than one reason to cry. You can even cry if you're happy! So don't worry about it."
He pulled back just enough to look at me, but the warmth never left. He turned his face down and looked at me with gentle eyes. My trembling stopped.
Throughout this whole thing, his smile never left. Big Brother raised his hand and wiped my tears away for the second time that day.
"There, now you're all better, right?"
I didn't trust my voice, so I simply nodded. My Big Brother seemed satisfied with that.
"Great! Then let's–"
*BAM*
A loud sound shattered the room, disturbing the peace of the three people in it.
My Mom jolted upright on the couch, eyes wide—almost like she was never asleep in the first place. My body immediately went rigid. I glanced over towards Big Brother.
For the first time today, his smile was slightly strained, and a drop of sweat ran down his forehead.
All three of us turned towards the source of the sound—the front door. It stood open, shrouded by darkness, making it impossible to see anything within. That was until a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
He wore black dress pants along with a blue dress shirt, completely wrinkled and untucked. He had dishevelled hair and dark bags beneath his tired eyes.
His footsteps were slow and steady, echoing through the living room. He set his bag down and exhaled a heavy sigh.
Then, he turned his attention towards the three of us.
His gaze met Mom's.
Then Big Brother's
Then mine…
And he smiled.