06/19/2025
The day they took Samuel away, I made him a promise: "This isn't forever." At 14, I was left to raise my 6-year-old brother until the system tore us apart.
Eight foster homes, countless court petitions, three jobs, and night school — every dollar I earned went to keeping a tiny apartment ready for him, with his favorite dinosaur sheets washed and his worn-out teddy bear waiting on the pillow.
During our supervised visits, he would whisper, "When can I come home?" and I’d choke out, "Soon," praying it wasn’t a lie.
The final custody hearing felt like our last hope; the social worker called me "too young," the judge frowned at my papers, and Samuel cried silently in the back row.
Then, the moment that still replays in my mind: the judge adjusted his glasses and began to speak… and time seemed to stop.👇👇