I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing all moisture to leave my vision. Now was the time to be strong. I needed to be there for her.

“You OK?” She asked, as I laid back down. We were sharing a room that night.

“I will be.” I mutter, wiping my eyes.

“You will be?” She asks, rearranging the blankets.

I just nod, unwilling to say a word to my sister. Afraid my voice would crack.

The truth of it was, though, that I was angry. Livid. Hurt.

No one was allowed to subject my sister to the reality of the world. Especially someone related to me. Someone I should be able to trust. I wanted to punch a hole through the sky and fly off the planet with my sister in hand. Reaching for the stars with no worries.

I wanted her to forget. But she probably wouldn’t. Not for a long time.

So, all I could do now was suck up the anger. Enclose it in me and throw it in a dark corner. And try to get my sister to forget. So she could fall asleep with no nightmares.

That was my mission. And I would die rather than not complete it.