Today, he was leaving for basic training.
I hugged him tightly, crying. I couldn’t seem to stop. “I hate that you’re leaving,” I cried. I wanted my brother to stay here with me, but I couldn’t ask him to put his life on hold anymore. It wasn’t fair to him.
Trent tightened his arms around me. “I know, little sis. I hate leaving you, too, but it’s time to do me. You’ve got a huge support team here.”
I sniffled and swiped at my cheeks. “I know,” I croaked. “I – I—”
He pulled me back into his arms and smoothed his hand over my hair. “Just breathe. I’ll write to you every fucking day, you hear me? And every phone call I get to make, I’ll call you.”
I hiccupped. “But what about Grace?” I sniffled.
Trent grinned down at me. “No one is more important than you,” he told me.
I laughed softly, shaking my head. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I need to say bye to Mom and Dad.”
I let him walk away, and Seth wrapped me in his arms. “This is hard for him, too, baby girl,” he told me softly.
I nodded, unable to speak. I knew it was. I was the first person he’d told that he was joining the military, and when he came home from MEPS, he came straight to our house. And he and I both cried that he was leaving me.
It wasn’t easy for either of us. Neither of us realized how much we relied on each other until he was faced with leaving me behind.
Seth ran his hand over my hair, his other arm wound around my back. Trent eventually walked back over to me, a warm smile on his face. “One more hug, little sis?”
I bounded into his arms. He hugged me tightly again. “See you later,” he told me.
I sniffled, nodding my head. “I l-love you,” I stuttered.
He grinned at me though I could see the sadness in his eyes. “I love you, too, little sis. Take care, yeah? And make sure Kira gets lots of extra love since I’ll be gone, okay?”
I nodded. He squeezed me to him one more time before he walked off towards security. Right before he walked through his gate, he waved one more time before disappearing from sight.
I swiped at my eyes as Dad wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “I’ll b-be okay,” I whispered.
“Yes, you will,” Dad assured me, squeezing me against his side.
My eyes met Stephen’s, and he smiled at me. I returned the smile and swiped the last of my tears off my cheeks. Seth handed me a teddy bear, an old one I used to have when I was a little girl. I had stolen it from Trent, but he had pretended to never notice.
Seth grinned at me when I giggled. “He thought you might want that,” Seth told me.
I smiled, some of my anxiety easing. Iwouldbe okay, and I knew this goodbye from my brother wasn’t forever.
“Take me home?” I softly asked.
Seth grabbed my hand in his and nodded. “Let’s go home, baby girl.”