“We’ll call child services, and they’ll take you away,” Tori’s father said as he and his wife started packing their belongings. Being just 15, she couldn’t understand what those words meant, and sadly, she and her siblings learned that the hard way.

Just a few days later, Tori and her siblings were separated and sent to different foster homes, and that’s when their ordeal began.

Lucas, who was six at the time kept asking why were those people taking him away, and Ben, 5, cried, “I don’t want to go, Tori. I want to stay with you.”

Now that their parents abandoned them, Tori wanted to be there for her brothers, but she was powerless. There was nothing she could do to keep what remained of their family together.

“I’m here to help,” the woman with the Child Protective Services assured the three siblings who were scared to death. “I know this is hard, but we need to take you somewhere safe.”

“Please, don’t take us away,” Tori begged. “We can stay here, we’ll be good.”

Once they were forced to leave the house, Tori, Lucas, and Ben were placed in three different cars which headed to different directions. Tori watched her brothers through the car window, their tear-streaked faces disappearing from view.

The drive to Tori’s foster home was a haze of tears and confusion. She kept replaying her father’s harsh words, questioning how it had come to that, and how they could leave their children behind just like that.

From the very first moment Tori met her foster family, the Thompsons, she felt unwanted. They were cold people who barely spoke to her, unless they needed to tell her what chore to finish.

Tori was sad and lonely, and she couldn’t stop thinking of her little brothers.

Unable to cope with the reality she was forced to live, Tori decided to run away from the foster home that never felt like a cozy place. However, that attempt failed as police caught her shortly after and returned her to the Thompsons, who were furious at her.

Every time she ran away, the same thing happened. She would be dragged back, scolded, and ignored even more. But Tori was determined to leave that place, so one night, she packed some of her belongings and slipped out the window.

Tori ended up on the street, but she knew it would be better for her than living with her foster family. She found an old trailer where she spent the nights. It lacked a door and had a leaky roof, but it was a start of her new life she hoped would be better and better with each passing day.

She was able to survive by working odd jobs such as cleaning cars, carrying groceries, and even helping at the local diner. She struggled to make ends meet, but the hardest thing was being separated from her brothers.

When she would learn where they were, they were usually sent to a different foster home, so keeping track was difficult.

One day, when she tried to visit Ben, an unfamiliar face opened the door. “Excuse me, can I see Ben?” she asked. “No, they moved out last week. I think they went to another state,” the woman at the door answered.

“Do you know where they went?” Tori asked, desperate to learn where her little brother was. “I’m sorry, I don’t,” the woman said as she closed the door.

Tori’s heart sank. She promised her brothers they would reunite one day, and she felt like she failed them because she couldn’t keep the promise.
Days went by, and Tori was able to find a job as a cleaner at a small shop on the outskirts of town. She scrubbed the floors, washed dishes, and cleaned the shelves, but it was steady.

Being a hard worker, the owner, Mr. Jenkins once asked her if she ever thought of returning to school. Tori said she wanted to attend college, but she could barely make money for food and some other essentials. “Keep saving, and you’ll get there. I believe in you,” he encouraged her.

His words came as an encouragement. Eventually, Tori did attend college, although balancing between her job and studying was very hard. She would spend the mornings at the shop, and during the evenings she studied hard and did all her assignments. It was overwhelming, but that was the only way she knew if she wanted to get closer to seeing her brothers again.

Years passed by, and Tori graduated from college. She majored business and was able to land a job as a store assistant at a large clothing store. With time, her manager, Ms. Carter, noticed her dedication.

“Tori, you’re doing great work,” she said one day as they restocked shelves together. “I’m promoting you to a supervisor.”

“Thank you, Ms. Carter!” Tori replied with excitement. “I promise I’ll do my best.”

Some time later, she was promoted to a store manager and was able to move into a nice apartment. But just as she thought things turned out good for her, she experienced yet another shock.

As she was settling in her new home, Tori heard a knock on the door. When she answered it, she saw her parents, Charles and Linda, standing there with suitcases in hand. “Hello, darling!” my mother said cheerfully, pretending as nothing has ever happened.

Tori stood frozen. She was in disbelief. Her father then asked her if they could come in. Still in shock, she let them in.
“We were hoping you could let us stay here for a while, just until we get back on our feet,” her mom said. Taken aback, Tori said, “You want to live with me?” Almost in unison, they both answered, “Yes.”

Struggling to keep her voice steady, Tori asked, “Why? How did you even find me?”

“Oh, sweetie, how does that matter? We are family, and family is supposed to help each other, right?” they said.

Tori could no longer contain her anger. “Oh really?” she snapped. “You haven’t asked a single thing about my brothers since you arrived. You just show up here, expecting me to help you after you abandoned us? Where were your ideas about family helping each other when we were struggling on the streets?”

Tori didn’t even gave them the chance to respond. She opened the door and asked them to leave and never contact her again.

She thought that seeing them after that many years would bring all the pain back, but in reality, she felt relieved and as though she had finally got the closure she needed. Her past was no longer holding her back, the only thing she needed to focus was finding her brothers and be happy again.

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