I’m officially going to be a college graduate at twenty-three years old.
I break out into a little happy dance. Squealing with delight and a smile spread across my face.
I’m in the middle of my dance when my little brother comes in my room.
“Connor!” I exclaim excitedly. Dashing across my small room I wrap both my arms around him tightly and pick him up. I do a little spin with him but have to put him back down because he isn’t little like he used to be. Sometimes when I look at him I forget that. I still see the young boy who was always attached to my leg.
He laughs, the pure sound filling light in my heart and soul. “Today is the big day! You did it, sis! You freakin’ did it!” He shouts proudly.
I feel like I might burst into tears.
His blue eyes, the same shade as mine have a twinkle in them.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you, champ.” My voice chokes at the end.
“I didn’t do anything,” he argues but I completely disagree.
I place my hands on his shoulders and look him the eyes so he can see just how much I mean what I’m about to say. “You kept me going, Connor. When I wanted to give up, when I was exhausted beyond belief, when I didn’t know how I could possibly do it, you made it all possible for me. Because I knew if I did this, if I achieved this that meant that one day you could, too. I’m so proud to be your big sister, Connor. You don’t know how proud I am but I wanted to achieve something so you could be proud of me.”
He throws his arms around me, fiercely holding me to him.“I’m always proud of you. Always.”
I hold him tighter, afraid that if I let go he will slip through my fingers.
All too soon we let go of each other. Both of us having tears in our eyes.
“I forgot the tissue box,” he sniffles and I giggle.
“Just don’t forget them later,” I tease him. I press the pads of my fingers gently under my eyes to help stop the running of my mascara. “When I see you in the crowd after I accept my diploma I’m going to be a mess.”
“More than you are now?” He jokes, laughing through the end of his tears.
I swat on him on the arm. “Hey!”
“Should I have one box or two?”
Playfully I roll my eyes at him. “One box should be enough, champ.”
“I don’t know,” he begins doubtful, “with how emotional you are we might need two.”
I gasp. “You little twerp!” I go to ruffle his hair but he dodges me. I try again and he begins to run out of my room. I follow behind him as he dashes through the short hall and the kitchen. Before I know it he makes a break for it outside.
We used to do this all the time when he was younger.
My brother loved having me chase him because in the end he knew I would tickle him to death.
Increasing my pace by just the slightest I gain up on him and tackle him from behind.
We both land on the soft grass out of breath.
As we catch our breath we stare up at the large blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.
Growing up poor we didn’t have much. We hardly had anything at all. Even when I began to work at the age of fifteen I still couldn’t afford much. When you can’t afford the luxuries of board games or gaming systems you had to rely on your imagination.
One of the games Connor and I always played while growing up was guessing the shapes of clouds.
We stayed outside for hours.
In the clouds I could dream of a better life for us.
