I grew up passed around from one family member to the other, always an afterthought, a bother, a burden. Except to my big brother. Bayani enlisted in the Army when I was just a kid, and I haven’t seen him in person in years. So many years that when I was younger, I actually forgot he even existed. But ever since I found out again? I’ve written to him every single day, and somehow, that makes it feel like he’s the only one who actually sees me, even if he’s not around. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Either way, I’m about to find out, because suddenly, he’s being discharged even though I always thought he’d stay enlisted long enough to retire. He’s coming home. And the only thing in the whole world I want is for him to be proud of me. At least, that’s all I want until, for the first time in years, I get to hug him again. Because the minute I feel his arms around me? I start to want even more…