"The Love for Family" by Wendy C

     It was another average day at home and I was inevitably hungry after a long day at

school. As I tiptoed down the stairs to grab a snack, I overheard a serious conversation taking place in the living room. I thought it was strange since I would usually know if we had visitors coming, but today that wasn't the case. Minutes pass and I hear hushed voices from my older sister and her husband. My sister is kind-hearted and generous, with the most beautiful long black hair and big brown eyes. Being aware of the situation, I inched forward and heard my sister say, “We wanted this to be a surprise to you...”. I immediately knew what was happening, but I held my will to say anything in that moment. I knew that my sister was at the age to begin creating a new family.  Although this news wasn’t unexpected, I was still shocked there would be a new member in the family.
     Eight months passed, and it was the day of her baby shower. It was an ugly day, cloudy and the fog seemed to continue rising. On the other hand, her belly was almost as big as her excitement, and it felt like it was going to burst with joy at any moment. The party began and was full of laughter and amuse as we all gathered to play games and conversate. Once it was time for our family and friends to go home, we were left with a mess to clean up. I watched as my sister struggled to pick up gifts with her pregnant belly, so I walk up to her and ask, “do you

need any help?”. I knew she couldn’t resist the help because of her physical condition, so she smiles and answers “yes of course!”. While I was sorting the gifts, I began to grow curious about her newborn. What if something goes wrong? How would it affect her and her family? I decide to not let my worries get the best of me and enjoy the rest of the night.
     Although her pregnancy was the highlight of her life, it was also the worst thing that could’ve happened to her. It all took a turn once the baby was born on October 20th. I remember the day clearly as I walked through to my classes and receive a strange text from my other sister. I read it and it said, “The baby has some complications, we’re all at the hospital”, which immediately worried me. Because I was always put last during the pregnancy, I had no idea what was going on. Finally, after a long week passes, I’m finally able to visit the hospital where my sister had been staying. The hospital was cold and quiet as I passed the entrance doors to the visitors booth. I quickly placed my sticker on and my mother led me to the room. Once I walked in, I felt a negative energy vibrate throughout the room. It was dark and unlike anything my sister had been for the last couple of months. I look at how she struggles to form a smile to reassure us she was doing okay, but I knew it wasn't. Another week goes by and matters are getting worse for my newborn nephew, Peter. The doctor walks in to inform us he would need multiple back-to-back surgeries to fix the complications surrounding his heart. My sister was able to go home, but I knew she wasn’t ready to be apart from Peter. I tried to console her one night as I heard her cry. We sat down and I told her it would get better. It was cliche, but it was the best I could do.
     Remaining positive for the next few months helped my sister collect herself. Although Peter was in critical condition, I knew it would all be okay in the end. My sister didn’t let

adversity change who she was, and I’m grateful she was able to be collected during such a difficult time in her life.