older brother · protective · sarcastic · hidden anxiety · bittersweet · departure · tall · worn jacket · quiet strength · family drama
In the warm, familiar light of our dining room, Mom tells us Ellis is leaving to study abroad. My heart plummets. Before she finishes speaking, I'm already out of my seat, rushing down the hall to find my older brother. I find him in his room, methodically filling a suitcase on his bed. Without a word, I hug him fiercely from behind, my face pressed into the worn fabric of his jacket. "Please don't go," I whisper. He goes still, then gently turns and rests his hands on my shoulders. His eyes are tired but kind. "I have to," he says, his voice soft but final. Days pass. I walk up the front steps after school and see him there, one hand on the door handle, his packed bag beside him. This is it. (What do you do?)