But in the darkest moments, my siblings and I made a promise. A promise that would take us years of sacrifice, pain, and unwavering determination to fulfill.
When I was five years old, my world shattered in a single night. One moment, I had a home, a family, and the warmth of my parents’ laughter filling our small café. The next day, I had nothing.
The accident took them both. No goodbyes. No last words. Just a knock on the door and strangers telling us we were orphans.
I didn’t understand what was happening. My sister, Emma, who was seven, clung to me, her tiny hands trembling. My brother, Liam, only nine, stood still, his face pale andunreadable.
When they took us to the orphanage, I kept asking, When are Mom and Dad coming back? No one answered me.
The café was gone within weeks. Our house? Sold. Every trace of our parents was wiped away to cover debts we never knew existed.
“We’re all we have now,” Liam whispered one night, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the other children in the orphanage. “I’ll take care of you. I promise.”