My Romance Life System

The video call connected, the screen in Principal Joseph's office flickering to life. It revealed two faces, a man and a woman, looking tired but sharp against the bland, generic backdrop of an airport lounge.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dameire, thank you for making time for us on such short notice," Ms. Albright began, her voice calm and professional.

"Of course," Kofi's dad said. His face was a mask of polite concern, but his eyes were fixed on Kofi, who was sitting just out of the webcam's main view. "Kofi told us the basics. We want to help in any way we can."

'The basics. Yeah, that's one word for it.' Kofi stared at his own hands, folded in his lap.

"As you know, the situation with Thea is… complex," Ms. Albright continued, choosing her words with care. "She has been a victim of severe and prolonged neglect. Her legal guardian has effectively abandoned her. While my office has opened an emergency case, the process of finding a suitable long-term placement will take a significant amount of time."

Kofi's mom leaned closer to the screen. "And in the meantime, she has nowhere to go."

"Precisely," the principal affirmed, his voice a low rumble. "Which brings us to the reason for this call. A highly unorthodox proposal has been put forward."

Ms. Albright took over, her gaze steady. "Your son, Kofi, has provided a safe and stable environment for Thea. The doctor has noted a significant improvement in her psychological state since she has been in his care, however temporary. Given the lack of viable alternatives, we believe the best course of action is to formalize this arrangement until a permanent solution is found."

There was a pause. Kofi could feel the weight of their silence from thousands of miles away.

"Formalize it how?" his dad asked.

"We would like to designate Kofi as Thea's temporary foster sibling, with your full consent. Legally, it places her within a family unit and offers both of them a crucial layer of social and legal protection."

'Foster sibling. It still sounds so weird when someone else says it.'

"You want our sixteen-year-old son, who lives by himself, to become the foster brother to a traumatized fourteen-year-old girl?" Kofi's dad summarized, his voice flat.

"I know how it sounds," Ms. Albright said, her tone unyielding. "It is without precedent in my career. But I have spoken to Kofi. Principal Joseph has spoken to him. He has shown a level of maturity and responsibility that is, frankly, remarkable. The alternative is placing Thea in a state-run youth shelter, an environment I cannot, in good conscience, recommend for a child in her fragile state."

Kofi's parents looked at each other. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see the quick, silent conversation happening between them. He felt a familiar knot of anxiety tighten in his chest.

'They're going to say no. Of course, they are. They're going to realize how insane this is and put a stop to it. And then what?'

His mom's face reappeared on the screen, her expression soft but resolved. She was looking right at him.

"Kofi," she said. "Is this what you want to do? Do you understand what you're taking on?"

He met her gaze through the camera. "I do."

"You'll be responsible for her," his dad added. "For making sure she's safe, that she's eating, that she's… okay. That's not a small thing."

"I know."

Another look passed between them. It was decided.

"Ms. Albright," his dad said, his voice firm. "Our son has always been more capable than he gives himself credit for. If he says he can do this, we believe him. You have our consent."

Ms. Albright gave a small, relieved nod. "Thank you. We will need to record your verbal consent for our records now, if you're ready."

The official questions were asked, and the formal answers were given. It was a sterile, legal procedure that sealed the most life-altering decision he had ever made.

When the call ended and the screen went dark, Kofi felt a profound sense of exhaustion.

Ms. Albright closed her briefcase with a decisive snap. "Well, that's the first step. The next is to speak with Thea. I'll need to do that alone." She turned to Kofi. "I'll head over to your apartment this afternoon, if that's alright."

He just nodded.

"It will be okay, Kofi," she said, and for the first time, her smile seemed genuine. "You're doing a good thing."

'Am I?' he thought, as he stood up to leave the office. 'Or did I just chain myself to a sinking ship?'

The knock on the apartment door was a light, official sound.

Thea froze on the couch, her sketchbook falling shut in her lap.

'Who is that? He's not supposed to be home yet.'

She crept to the door, her heart pounding a familiar, panicked rhythm. She peered through the peephole. A woman in a suit. A stranger.

The knock came again, a little more insistent this time. Thea's mind raced.

'Is it the police? Is it about my aunt? Am I in trouble?'

She backed away from the door, her breath catching in her throat.

"Thea?" the woman's voice called from the hallway. It was calm, not threatening. "My name is Ms. Albright. I'm from Child Protective Services. Kofi let me know I could stop by. May I come in for a moment?"

'CPS. It's over. They're here to take me away.'

The thought was a cold certainty. This was it. The temporary safety of this clean, quiet apartment was about to end. She was going to be sent to a shelter, or a group home, or some other place for broken kids.

She slowly unlocked the door and pulled it open, her hand trembling.

Ms. Albright offered a small, reassuring smile. "Thank you, Thea. I promise this won't take long."

She stepped inside, her eyes taking in the simple, tidy living room with a quick, professional glance. She gestured toward the couch. "Can we sit?"

Thea just nodded, her throat too tight to speak. She perched on the very edge of the cushion, her hands clenched in her lap. Ms. Albright sat in the chair opposite her.

"First," she started, her voice gentle. "I want you to know that you're not in any trouble. You are safe. My only job is to make sure you stay that way."

'That's what they all say.'

"I've spoken with your doctor, and with Principal Joseph," Ms. Albright continued. "And I've spoken with Kofi and his parents. We all agree that your previous living situation was unacceptable."

Thea flinched, a wave of shame washing over her.

"This is not your fault," Ms. Albright said firmly, as if reading her mind. "The adults in your life failed you. We are here to correct that."

She paused, letting the words sink in. "Kofi has explained the arrangement you've agreed to. That you'll be staying here with him for the time being."

Thea just nodded again, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"I know this is a very strange situation," Ms. Albright said. "Which is why we'd like to make it a little more official. To give you a stronger sense of stability."

She leaned forward just a little. "We've proposed that, on paper, Kofi would be your foster brother. You would be, for all intents and purposes, part of the same family unit. What do you think about that?"

Thea's head snapped up.

'Brother? That's what he meant? For real?'

She just stared at Ms. Albright, her mind struggling to wrap itself around the word. A brother. A family. It was a concept so foreign, so disconnected from her reality, that it felt like a trick.

"I… I don't understand."

"It's a way to give you a place," Ms. Albright explained. "It means this isn't just some random boy's apartment you're staying at. It's your home, too. It means he has a responsibility to look out for you, and you have a right to be here. It makes it real."

'Real? None of this is real.'

But she thought of the quiet way he'd let her help with the dishes. The sketchbook he'd bought her, the one with the thick, sturdy paper. The way he'd turned away this morning so she wouldn't see his smile.

He had never once looked at her with pity.

"It has to be your choice, Thea," Ms. Albright said, her voice soft but clear. "No one can force you. If you would rather go to a foster home, we can arrange that. But I need to know what you want."

Thea looked around the living room. It was just a room. A couch, a coffee table, a TV. But it was quiet. It was safe. There were no empty bottles, no smell of old garbage. And in the other room, there was a bed with a blue comforter.

'If I go with her, I'll be alone again. I'll be the new girl. The cursed girl. The black cloud.'

She thought of the curry she'd made. Of the quiet pride she'd felt when he'd said it was good. She thought of the little blue jay embroidered on her shirt pocket.

She looked at Ms. Albright, her gaze steady for the first time.

"I want to stay here," she said, her voice a small but determined whisper. "With my brother."