𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑫 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬

045

Salvador had heard his remaining foster siblings talking about how they couldn't wait to leave. They were all 18 soon, meaning that it would just be him and the girl left to take the abuse and beatings. Just the thought made him want to break down, but Salvador never cried. He'd ran out of tears years ago.

Taking his chance, Salvador stole some money from his foster parents, set the trash in the backyard on fire and while they were distracted, he disappeared.

However, he hadn't realised that the little girl had been following him.

"Go back home." He said to her, her rags could barely keep her warm against the New York winter breeze, yet she still followed him.

"I want to be with you." She whined, tears rolling down her face. Salvador realised how much attention she'd bring to them, so she agreed to take her.

"You can come with me, as long as you stay quiet." Salvador warned her, the little girl immediately wiped her tears and limped behind him.

Because she walked so slow, she was eventually carried on his back as they hurried to an abandoned church. Salvador had checked around the area before running away, to make sure he had a place to crash before moving again.

-XX-

Halving the bread with her, Salvador watched as the little girl tore apart the food. She was skin and bones, her pale skin looked sickly and her lips had no colour. He simply stared at her before giving her his own slice of the bread, allowing her to devour that too.

She'd been raised by these people. Just like he had been but she'd only been alive for 5 years, whereas he'd suffered for over 14 years.

"Let's go to bed. We move again tomorrow." He told her, tucking her in with his blankets.

They were hiding behind the statue of Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus. As the two children shut their eyes, one hoped for a life with freedom, while the other prayed for death.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked softly, making him nod slowly with a small smile.

Salvador had no intentions of seeing her tomorrow. Instead he got up after she was fast asleep and walked to Brooklyn Bridge, where he decided to take advantage of one other thing he'd stolen from his foster parents.

Their gun.

That was when she appeared and reminded him that he wasn't the only one with shit cards. Nia had reminded Salvador that he wasn't alone, so he did what he thought was best.

He went back to the little girl, the little girl who had the exact same cards as him.

Dead parents. No family. Shit foster parents.

-XX-

"I thought you left me." She cried, making Salvador frown before wiping her tears.

After Nia had called the police, he'd jumped out of the car and ran to the chapel. Making sure he wasn't trailed. Had he gone with the police, they would have notified his foster parents, then they'd be back to square one.

"No, I went to get some more food." He lied.

Technically, it wasn't a lie but Sal had left out the part where he'd tried to kill himself.

"I'm so hungry." She groaned, standing up and watching as he grabbed some rubbing and began a fire, then they cooked some eggs with what he'd stolen.

We all want to be seen by another,
For all we hope to be,
We never know the way,
We'll be brought together,
But when we are, it sets us free,

"I'll be your family if you promise not to cry too much." Salvador said, handing her some food. She simply stared at him curiously.

"Foster family?"

I'll wait for you,

"No." He shook his head, "Real Family."

She smiled brightly, for the first time ever. Salvador felt himself want to smile too, this little girl had been his salvation. He needed to live so that he could thank that girl, Nia.

She'd seen him. Listened. And helped.

He saw himself in Julie and Salvador wanted to prevent that.

So Salvador promised that he'd do the same for this unnamed little girl. Whom he'd later on come to call Julie.

Oh, those days are gone,
But we can remember,
Wait for me and I'll be there.

Those were the hardest days of both of their lives. Weirdly enough, that was when Salvador and Julie were at their happiest.

When they realised that they were more than just a kid named after a country and a little girl with no name. They were more than that.

They were family.