Chapter 9 - A Sister's First Steps
Five years passed like a single, beautiful breath.
The memory of the cold hospital stairwell and the terrifying man named Vance had faded into a distant, half-forgotten dream.
Sophie was now a energetic, five-year-old girl with a mop of curly brown hair and a laugh that could light up the darkest room. She was inseparable from her older brother.
Ethan, now sixteen, had grown tall and strong. He was a quiet but confident teenager, an excellent student, and a talented photographer for his high school newspaper. But no matter how busy his schedule was, he always made time for his little sister.
It was a warm summer afternoon in the backyard.
Daniel and Laura sat on the patio, holding glasses of iced tea, watching their children.
Sophie was trying to ride her small bicycle without training wheels. Ethan was running beside her, holding the back of the seat, his camera hanging securely around his neck.
"Ready, Soph?" Ethan asked, his voice encouraging. "Keep your feet on the pedals. Don't look down. Look at the big oak tree."
"Don't let go, Ethan!" Sophie squeaked, her knuckles white on the handlebars.
"I've got you," Ethan promised. "I'm right here."
He ran with her, his long strides easily matching the speed of the small bicycle. Gradually, without her realizing it, Ethan let go of the seat. He slowed his pace, standing in the middle of the green lawn, watching her pedal forward on her own.
Sophie pedaled ten, fifteen, twenty feet.
"I'm doing it!" she screamed, her face bursting into a brilliant grin. "Ethan, look! I'm doing it!"
"You're flying, Soph!" Ethan yelled back, raising his camera and snapping a quick succession of photos, capturing the pure, unadulterated triumph on his sister's face.
She turned the handlebars too quickly, losing her balance, and tumbled gently onto the soft grass.
Before Daniel or Laura could even stand up, Ethan was already there. He knelt beside her, checking her knees.
"You okay?" he asked.
Sophie sat up, rubbing a grass stain on her elbow. She giggled. "I want to do it again."
Ethan helped her up, dusting off her shoulders. "Then let's do it again."
Daniel looked at Laura, his heart full. He reached over, wrapping his hand around hers.
May you like
"We did good," Daniel whispered.
"He did good," Laura corrected gently, her eyes shining as she watched her son help her daughter back onto the bicycle. "He’s been doing good since the very beginning."
