Life went on for months and years. Eventually Emma and Jess got friends their own age, and I spent more time playing with the kids in my class. I was the El-Sayeds’ designated dog-sitter though, and if they went away for vacation Leon and I had a key so we could go over and make sure Malak had food and water and went for his daily walks.
Leon got his driver’s license almost the minute he turned eighteen. As though to make up for all the lost time over the past couple years, he took me everywhere. He dropped me off and picked me up at school, drove me to friends’ houses, took me out to get food or go somewhere fun; anywhere I wanted to go, he took me. I felt like I was finally getting my big brother back.
Then one night, a couple months after he graduated high school, Leon crept into my r
