Prologue
June 20, 1999 Baltimore, MD
“I don’t want you to leave,” Cheyenne said wrapping her small arms around his waist.
He looked down at the top of her head; her short dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail that didn’t even brush the back of her neck. He was taller than her, so her head just came to his chest. His arms rested comfortably on her shoulders. They’d been put into the group home on the same day, at the same time. She’d been five and he’d been nine.
She’d taken his hand out of fear and when he’d looked into her brown eyes he’d immediately sworn that she would be protected better then he’d protected his own little sister. He’d make sure that she wouldn’t be beaten or mistreated by anyone. Now here he was, leaving her. She was losing the one person she’d come to care about most in the entire group home. They’d stuck together over their time here, mostly him looking out for her because she was so small. He’d protected her as though she were his own blood.
“I promise that I’ll find you when I get back,” Preston said as he smiled down at her. “You and I will always look out for each other, but I can’t look out for you here anymore. I’m seventeen now and they won’t let me stay much longer. I’m going to become a marine. I’ll be looking out for the whole USA, but you’ll always come first, I promise. I’ll write every week at least and you have to promise to write back.”
“You really promise to write?” she asked, her big brown eyes staring up into his.
“Have I ever broken a promise to you?” he asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her head back and forth. “You better get going if you don’t want Mrs. Fields to catch you.”
He kissed her forehead once more and walked out of the front door. He looked back once he stepped onto the sidewalk and was just able to make out the shadow of the figure in the window, but he knew it was her. He waved and the figure waved back, he knew that she would be waiting for his letter.