The day was March 31st 2017. It was a calm Friday night which was unusual as every single Friday my siblings and I would stay up really late to catch up with my parents after a long day of stress caused by school. However, for some weird reason we all fell asleep or rather were forced to by my parents. In the middle of the night, I remember waking up thirsty so I went to get a glass of water. As I went to the kitchen I sprinted down the hallway to turn on the lights because who isn't scared of the dark? There could be monsters waiting to eat us for all we know. Instead of turning on the light I bumped into someone and of course my first reaction was to scream. I got so scared that I felt like my soul left my body. As I slowly opened my eyes I noticed my mom’s figure standing calmly waiting for me to stop the dramatic scene I just caused. I was confused as to why was she awake. Usually she was asleep by this time. 

“Y tú qué haces despierta? Ya vete a dormir” 

I was even more confused as she had never been mad at me for going to bed late on a Friday night. She seemed like she was hiding something, so I just went to sleep not wanting to get a pregnant woman mad at me—a situation that nobody wants to be in. 

The next day was full of commotion. Who invented April Fools? Who thought it was a good idea to dedicate a day just for pranks? That morning I woke up with a weird feeling. 

“Mom’s at the hospital” 

I woke up to the, oh so awaited words from my brother. We all wanted to hear those words. The words that would announce that the baby was on its way. We were all excited to meet him. I got excited but then I remembered what day it was: April Fools, I just want to know who thought it was a brilliant idea to make a celebration dedicated to pranks. I waited for the “April Fools!” but it never came. 

I had never felt time go by fast especially two years. It's amazing to see a tiny creature grow. You get to see how a squishy human turns into a tiny toddler. I remember carrying him delicately, to him crawling, then taking his first steps, and now I see him walking and running around giving a headache to anyone he encounters.Those 2 years of his growth went by like a blur. But the more I continue to see him grow the more it reminds me of myself. 

I remember how all of my time as a little girl was spent with my dad. Running around the park where a lot of memories were made by all those children who have now grown older. 

I remember those days back when I felt like daddy’s little princess. Back when the only stress I had was not being able to surpass the oh so hard monkey bars. Back when the only thing I cried about were my skinned knees. All those moments have slowly gone away without saying goodbye. It's scary to think how something you are so used to can slowly disappear. One day, without knowing the end came, the last day I ever went to the park that I loved so much came. Now, replacing that carefree little girl, is a teenager. Who hasn't reached full maturity but is on the process. She’s in the middle of making the hardest decisions in life because one single mistake can lead everything downhill or at least that’s how I feel. But as busy as I am, I'm not the only one growing; so is he, my brother. It feels as if yesterday we got the news of his birth. It's amazing how as little as he is, he has already decided his favorite place to be: the park. And now replacing that little girl on the swings, the girl whose favorite place was on dad’s shoulders, the girl who only cried for her skinned knees is my brother. Waiting for his own journey to begin.