I grew up an outcast. My family tried their best, but they constantly worked. I often grew lonely and felt deprived of attention and care. But one day, I finally felt understood and cared for…. Let me start from the beginning.

After school, I ran home from the bus, threw my backpack down, and lay on the couch.

“Haylen?” A man asked, calling from upstairs.

I look around, hearing my name called.

A man comes downstairs.

My face lights up, “Cassian!” I rush up to him and he opens his arms, then swings me back and forth.

“Did you miss me?” He asks, a smile on his face, then he puts me down.

Who is he you may ask, Well… my older brother who is in college, that’s his best friend. I grew up with him coming over every once and a while cause normally my brother went to his house. But this time he was babysitting me—I was 13–he was 17. I didn’t really need babysitting but my family preferred someone be there with me.

“Yes, I did,” I emphasized, with a pouty face.

“What are you wanting to do?” He asked.

“I want to go to the zoo!”

“Sure,” he nodded with a smile, like he was admiring a puppy.

“Yay!”

“Oh, but first, I brought you something.” He proclaimed.

“Really?”

“Yeah!” He has his hands behind his back, then extends me a white bunny plushie.

“How did you know I like bunnies?” I hold it up to my heart.

“I had a hunch.”

“Thank you!” I smile. Something about this gesture melted my small _tiny_ heart.

“Of course, now let’s go!” He stuck his fist up in the air.

He drove me there, we had looked at most of the animals, when we arrived near the gorillas, they had a photo opt to stick your head into. A gorilla family.

“Can we do this?” I ask.

“Sure,” He says with no hesitation. He asks a family to take a photo and they do, “Thank you.” He says politely.

I smile for the photo, then we do one silly one. Something about this day, the way Cassian paid extra attention to me and listened thoroughly, I don’t know.. I just felt safe and happy. He never complained once or made me uncomfortable.

“Can you marry me when I’m older?” I ask him bluntly.

His eyes widen, then he smiles, “You have to get older first.” He boops my nose and replies like I’m just a little kid who doesn’t know what I’m talking about. Little did he know.

“I’m not joking!” I pout.

“Okay fine, we’ll get married.” He says not to upset me.

“I won’t forget it,” I squint at him.

He laughs which makes me laugh too.

Our food was ready so he brought me a funnel cake. The crispy and sweet smell made my mouth water.

“It’s good isn’t it?” He asks, tilting his head.

“Yes! It’s the best. I want this every time.”

“Sure,” he smiles again.

He shows me a photo, “I like this one best.” It’s the silly photo with the gorilla printout.

“Yeah, it’s my favorite too.”

“Here let me send a photo of you to your mom.”

“Sure!” I exclaim.

“Oh hold on, your mom’s calling me, be right back.”

He walked away just enough so he could see me, or so he thought. But secretly, I followed him.

“I can pay you for the time you spend. I didn’t know you’d come and see her.” my mother says.

“No, this is my treat. We’re having fun, you don’t need to pay me.”

“Are you sure?” She asks kindly.

“Yeah,” He said—matter-of-factly.

I couldn’t believe what I’d heard, he wasn’t being paid to hang out with me? My little heart burst into tears. And when he came back he asked what was wrong.

“Nothing,” I reply, but I’m crying tears of joy. He wanted to hang out with me.

“Would a jelly cheer you up?”

“Yes,” I smile through tears, and he hands me a prepackaged jelly candy.

Something flew through me, time slowed down, and I looked at him for a minute.

“Why are you here?” I ask politely.

“Because I wanted to see my little sister,” he messes up my hair.

“Oh.” _I can change that later. I thought. _

I fix my hair, “So I’m not a burden?”

“Why would you be, little sis?”

Why did that sting so bad? “Okay, brother.” I laughed it off. Pretending I didn’t care, but truly I did.