Care For Me ✔️

S E V E N T Y - O N E

Z A C

Frozen — that's the only way I can describe how I feel right now. I stare at the stranger in front of me, his amber gaze drifting towards my siblings — clearly searching for Jack.

I try so hard to protect them all, to be the parental figure they need me to be, to be the person they need me to be, but sometimes I can't help but feel as though I'm failing. That doesn't mean I'll give up, I'd never give up on them, they're my family.

My father taught me from a young age that family means everything; you protect your family at all costs and love them beyond bounds. In bad times and in good, you stick by each other, through calm or stormy waves, you sail together. I was only fourteen when I lost him, but his words, his guidance, it never left me.

He was my hero, he was everything I aspire to be.

I hope I'm making him proud, making both of them proud.

Snapping out of my shock, I turn to my family, my eyes locking on ten sets of fear struck blue eyes. I narrow my gaze, finding the petrified ocean orbs of my blonde brother. His eyes met mine, a silent promise made as we maintain contact.

"Grey," I call out for my oldest younger brother, his sole attention focuses on me.

I'm grateful for him, for everything he does, his constant support, everything he's gave up in order to help me, in order to help our siblings.

He was sixteen when I was granted custody of him and the boys.

He gave up his teenage years, his whole high school social experience. Whilst most kids were out partying, Grey would spend night and day studying. He claimed that if he studied enough and got good grades that he could get a job and help me support the boys, he wanted to help me take care of our siblings, he said that he didn't want me to be burdened with them on my own.

They could never be a burden to me.

I tried to reassure him that I would be fine, that we had more than enough money. I didn't want my sixteen year old brother to miss out on everything that I had, he deserved to live his life to the fullest.

Did he listen to me... of course not.

He continued with his routine, and after endless amounts of studying, hard work and sacrifices, he graduated high school a year early. He then proceeded to study at NYU, taking every course he needed to secure his dream job.

The day after our parents death, at eleven years old, Grey told me we were lucky. He told me; "Many times when kids become orphans, they have no one, they're alone. We're lucky Zac, we're lucky because we have each other.

After that day, Grey told me about his dream job, how he wanted to help kids who didn't have what we did, kids who'd experienced loss, kids who were born into families that didn't deserve them, families that hurt them.

I'm so fucking proud of him.

"Take the kids inside."

Grey nods at me, ushering our younger siblings into the house, whilst Callan and Carter block Jack from Harrison's view. As they disappear beyond the foyer, I turn my eyes back to the blonde haired man.