Splash! Drip, drip, drip. Splash! The rain came down hard on the sidewalk and the roofs of cookie-cutter houses. My scuffed up boots took me through puddles and run down neighborhoods. I watched my feet turn right towards a house that wasn't mine and I sat down on the steps leading to the door. My eyes stared at the clock on my watch, minutes passing slowly. He didn't come that day.

The dismissal bell shouted and it seemed like the school shook. I had sat on the wet steps everyday this week, alone and waiting. I was patient and waited until the moon shone on the wet pavement. He never came.

As I walked to the steps one cold afternoon, I noticed him sitting there. His eyes caught mine as I slowly walked towards him. His face was like a shadow and the way he wrapped his arms around his knees made him look vulnerable. The weight that lifted from me when I saw him returned when my jeans felt the wet steps and I was sitting beside him. His presence felt angry and broken. His face turned and his eyes bore into mine. The green eyes I knew were now masked with a purple veil of contusions. I looked down at my feet. He moved closer to me and I locked my fingers with his.

“I’m sorry I made you wait,” he said.

“It’s okay. You're more important than my time.”

“My father is gone,” he blurted out.

“Is he coming back?”

“No, he's gone.”

“Let’s pack your bags, okay?” I squeezed his hand reassuringly and gave him a little smile.

“No, I won't be a burden to your family. I'm not going to trouble them.”

“You’re right, you’re not going to. You will stay with us though. Don’t argue,” I got up and opened the creaky door.

The house was torn apart. Broken glass, torn curtains, furniture that had been turned over. He put his hand on my shoulder from behind which made me turn around. His eyes were glossy and I pulled him into me. His body shook with sobs and he tightly held on to me. I told myself I was going to help him be okay again.