My Brother Never Gave Me a Home Chapter 06
Before leaving, my adoptive parents took me to my biological parents’ grave.
The four of us laid down flowers.
I stood before the grave and bowed deeply. Four times.
The first bow. For giving me life.
The second. For blessing me with a family that raised me with love.
The third. For letting me know, in this lifetime, that I had two sets of parents who loved me. No regrets left.
The last bow.
To say goodbye.
From now on, I’d live my own life. Let everything return to where it started.
I wished them peace.
Afterward, my adoptive father poured a glass of wine over the grave.
“Sir. Ma’am. Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of Joyce. We’ll give her a good life.”
Goodbyes were always rushed.
Back in the car, I glanced at their headstones one last time and whispered a quiet farewell.
A breeze swept past.
Warm. Like an embrace.
The road home felt the same as always.
Ethan was just as annoying as ever.
Poking me. Making stupid faces.
But my heart felt full for the first time in years.
Three hours later, we pulled up to the house I knew.
The familiar smell hit me.
My drifting heart settled.
We’d barely stepped inside when my mom got a call from my uncle.
“The enrollment stuff is handled. You can start packing for the move right now.”
My mom burst into tears.
“Really? You’re not joking?”
We didn’t even eat. Just started packing.
Ethan shoved my shoulder.
“What are you standing there for? Trying to dump all the work on me again?”
“Hurry up! The faster we pack, the faster we start our new life!”
I wiped my eyes and jumped in.
Mom and Dad didn’t rest for a second.
By noon the next day, we’d finished packing.
Four days later, all the necessary paperwork was finally sorted.
On the fifth day, the four of us walked into our new place in Crestwood.
Two bedrooms. One bath. An older building in an older neighborhood.
Ethan scratched his head.
“It’s nothing compared to that guy’s mansion. But it’ll be a hell of a lot warmer.”
“You better study hard. We’re counting on you to upgrade us to a bigger place.”
Mom smacked the back of his head and shot him a look.
“Your sister can do whatever she wants. Whether she succeeds or not, it’s our job as family to lift her up.”
“Besides, is this place not big enough for you? You share a room with your dad. I share with Joyce. What’s the problem? Who needs a giant mansion? All that empty space is pointless.”
Her words hit something deep.
My nose stung.
She was right.
A huge house with no family to share it.
What was that but wandering alone?
I threw myself into her arms.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Dad and Ethan stepped in and wrapped around us.
“From now on, our family’s only gonna get better and better.”
With the paperwork settled, my enrollment went through fast.
I walked out of the admissions office.
In my hands, my acceptance letter. Still warm from the printer.
I shouted at the sky.
Ethan snatched the acceptance letter out of my hand.
“Look at you. Let’s go home. Mom and Dad are cooking a celebration dinner.”
I laughed and kicked him in the butt.
“Then let’s go!”
They’d prepared a feast. All our favorites.
Through the fogged-up window, the city lights glowed like a thousand small fires.
I finally had a home in this city.
Then my phone buzzed.
Leo’s name on the screen:
[Who helped you get that proof? What’s your plan here? Is this what you wanted? Are you giving up on this family?]
I looked at that message. Every word dripping with accusation.
Calmly, I blocked him. Deleted his contact.
Whether I could transfer my registration or not meant nothing to me now.
Because I would never leave this registry again.
This was my home.
My only home.
