Cassandra and her little brother, Gabe stepped off the school bus, turning toward their home.  She rolled her eyes, as once again, she realized she had to climb through the livingroom window, because her mother wasn't home.

It wasn't the first time she was in charge of making sure Gabe started his homework or that he got something to eat.  She looked around at the sound of the creaking old house.  She hated it here.  The house sounded so spooky.  Cassandra looked up when Gabe stood in front of her with a strange look in his eyes.

" What's wrong?"

" Mom's clothes are gone."

" What?"

She quickly went to her mother's room.  He was right her clothes were gone.  What was going on?  Why would her clothes not be there?  Cassandra turned at the sound of the knock on the front door.  She wandered confused to the door to look out.  Her aunt Samantha stood soberly there.

Cassandra opened the door.  Aunt Samantha hugged her to her breast.  Gabe looked on wondering what was going on.

" Your mom left to Florida.  She left you guys with us."

" What?  Why not take us with her?"

" She didn't want to take you away from your grandmother, so you are going to live with me now."

" What about Jillian?  Did mom take her?"

" No.  Your little sister is at my house.  Come on, lets get your clothes."

Cassandra looked blankly at her little brother.  His eyes were tearing up and starting to run over.  Instead of doing as she was told, she hugged her brother.

" It's going to be okay, Gabe.  We have eachother."

" I know."

Cassandra gathered her clothes and other things she couldn't live without, silently cursing her mother.  She looked to heaven and asked why, but she received no answer.  She decided to never forgive her mother as long as she lived.  She had to be strong for her younger siblings, that was her job.

Walking out the door to her aunts car, she took one last look back.  She had enjoyed being there with her mother.  Her heart broke the instant she got into her aunts car.  She thought silently to herself,

'What had she done to make her mother leave?'

Years later her mother came and went out of her life, bringing two more little brothers with her.  She always wondered how she could have given them up, then have two more.  She loved her little brothers, even thou, through the years she rarely saw them.

Tenth grade brought new hope, when her mother promised to take her, Gabe, and Jillian with her to Texas, but when her boyfriend got into a fight with her aunt Samantha and left for Texas, Her mother and two youngest brothers went with her.

Cassandra had stayed after school to catch up on a test.  Coming home she saw Gabe walking despondent down the road.  He was crying when he told her that mom had left without them again.  Cassandra was so angry, that when her mother called, half way to Texas, crying that she simply said,

" You left us, Mom.  You chose him over us.  I don't care about your tears.  I'll never forgive you for this."

Many years later, when she was grown up, with children of her own, Cassandra realized that she must forgive her mother, for her own peace of mind.  She called her mother and with tears, told her how she felt, but also that she forgave her, and loved her.  She lived out her life, trying to be a better mother than the one she knew.