I shut the door to the screaming
and hold my little brother in my arms
as he cries on my shoulder.
“It’s okay, everything is going to be fine.
Mom and Dad are just upset right now,
you can go to sleep, I’m here and I love you.”
These words are what he needs to hear,
they are his only source of comfort.

I need him to believe it, to believe
in our family’s happy ending.
I need to believe it too, but I don’t.
I have to be strong - to be here for him.

I bundle him in his Spiderman sheets,
read his favorite bed time story,
and he says our nightly prayer.
He thanks God for another day,
asks Him to make Mommy and Daddy happy,
and to have sweet dreams tonight.
“Goodnight buddy, I love you.”
With that I leave his room, open the door
to our cold, dark home, once again facing
this nightmare we call our life.