I Love My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 1 ~ Leaving

 *10 Years Ago*

"Daddy, is Mommy ever coming back home again?" said six-year-old Isabella, only slightly grasping the concept of what was happening.

"No baby girl, her new home is in London now." replied her overly-stressed father who had just gotten home from a 24-hour shift at the firehouse. It wasn't particularly helping that they had almost lost a young women after her car was wrapped around a pole. She had reminded him of his now ex-wife from when they had first met. Same fight and determination in their eyes, not to mention they had looked almost identical at that age.

"But we get to stay here, right? And maybe she'll visit!" Isabella also had that same trait of determination as her mother and the young woman, and being exposed to so much loss at her age had given her experience in using her determination to try and keep things together for once. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work this time, and both of her parents and her three older brothers knew it.

"Maybe one day baby girl,"sighed her father as he was giving up his last sliver of hope to keep his family together. "if you just keep hoping, you will find your fairy-tale ending, I promise."

"I think that is the last bag, if you find anything else, you have the address to send it to." Isabella's mother had now re-entered the living room after putting her belongings into the awaiting cab. She then began her final 'goodbyes' to each of her sons, finally bending down to Isabella's level.

"Mommy, why can't your home still be here? Why does it have to change to London?" The pleading in the young girl's voice was obvious.

"Because baby, I can't be happy here anymore, I'm sorry. I love you, and don't you ever give up. You are already so strong. Much stronger than I can ever be." And with that, the woman walked out of the house, and took off in the cab to the airport, leaving her family behind.