After losing their parents, a boy steps into a father's shoes for his younger sister. He goes out of his way to be her dad in a brother's disguise, guessing little about fate's heartbreaking plan for his own daughter years later.

When a fateful car crash killed their parents and dropped a bomb on their lives, Thomas, 19, had to make the most challenging choice of his life: to focus on his studies or to give it up to care for his younger sister, Andrea, 14. Nothing outweighed his love for his sister, so he chose her over his future.

"I'll never leave you, Andie. I'll never give you the life of an orphan. I'll be your mother and father from now on. You have me until my heart stops beating, alright?" he tearfully consoled Andrea after their parents were laid to rest.

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Thomas dropped out of college shortly after and wandered the streets, looking for signboards with 'We are hiring' advertisements. When every store and company turned him down due to a lack of know-how and a degree, a car repair shop opened the gates to his new life...

"Why should I hire you despite knowing you're a college dropout?" the boss asked Thomas in what seemed to be a straightforward interview question.

Thomas pursed his lips and gave an honest reply that melted the man's heart and immediately roped him in for a vacant position.

"Because I promised my little sister I'll look after her like a father. I don't want her to think she's an orphan... I want her to have a brighter future."

"Boy, you're in! You may join today!" the boss exclaimed and patted Thomas on his shoulder.

The first workweek was nothing short of a nightmare for Thomas. Not only was he new to the trade, but he was constantly bossed around by his colleagues, who were much older and more experienced than him.

"What a nitwit... Yuk! Yuk! Don't you know how to tighten a screw, champ?!" they mocked. "You're still a kid. Why don't you mow lawns or walk dogs? Yuk! Yuk!"

Appreciate and cherish your family and express your love for them because it can all change in the blink of an eye.

But Thomas was too determined to give up and kept going, answering his bullies with his silence and steadfast dedication to his job. That, in turn, somehow shut them up, giving Thomas more space to work hard day and night to save money for Andrea's college.

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As days passed, Thomas devoted his time and energy to earn more money and invested every penny in his sister's future. He barely slept for four hours every night and still woke up before the rooster crowed to make breakfast for Andrea.

The hot water would be ready for her to bathe, her uniform neatly pressed, and even her daily allowance of $5 would be stashed in her pocket. From brushing her hair to walking her to school to telling off her bullies, Thomas did everything in a dad's shoes, and he never grew tired of it.

A few years fleeted by as Andrea slowly overcame her grief. She enrolled in an esteemed college away from home after graduating high school. She was reluctant to leave her brother. But Thomas persuaded her to go after her dreams.

"Andie, I worked so hard for this day. You have to go. I'm not so far from you. I'm always in your heart, and it's just over a hundred miles from here. I'll visit you often, alright?!"

Although extremely hurt on the inside over having to stay away from his sister, Thomas pulled himself together to send her away. He wanted Andrea to be an achiever, just like their late parents envisioned both their children to be.

As Andrea boarded the bus, leaving for the city, Thomas emptied his pockets, stashing her hands with all his money. The bus slowly took off as Andrea pressed her teary face on the window, waving at her brother.

Days passed, and as things steered in a new direction, Thomas fell in love with Sandra, a receptionist in the workshop. Sandra was an orphan, and besides falling in love with her for the wonderful woman she was, Thomas thought she would be a great addition to the family.

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Thomas and Sandra married in an intimate ceremony, and when they prepared to become parents months later, fate struck them with a painful blow.

"No, it can't be... Doctor, please tell me she's alright," he cried when the doctors told him they could only save his newborn during the delivery. His wife Sandra had died in childbirth, leaving another significant responsibility on his shoulder—their newborn daughter Libbie.

Andrea supported a bereaved Thomas emotionally. She took a long leave and tended to his newborn baby but eventually left for the city after Thomas constantly persuaded her to focus on her life.

A few years passed, and Thomas worked hard day and night while caring for his daughter. He kept sending Andrea money to finish college and, one day, learned she had a boyfriend after seeing her profile picture with a guy on social media.

Worried about Andrea's future and to find out if she was in safe hands, Thomas paid a surprise visit to her apartment one day. There, he met her boyfriend, Josh, who was rather lazy and bossy.

"Andie, I'm afraid you have made a wrong decision. You cannot live a beautiful life with a 'couch potato' like him," Thomas took his sister aside and advised her.

Shockingly enough, Josh had overheard their conversation and barged in with a strange ultimatum for Andrea, asking her to choose between Thomas and him.

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Who would Andrea choose? Her love or her brother? While her decision was music to one's ear, it felt like a funeral march to the other.

"Honey, it's your call now. I heard your brother," he began.

"We've been in this relationship for three years. You know how happy we are together. I ain't just some COUCH POTATO."

"Sweetie, it's just that my brother loves me a lot. He didn't mean it, alright?" Andrea tried convincing Josh, who was still furious.

"No, you listen to me, okay? It's either YOUR BROTHER or ME. The choice is all yours, darling."

At this point, Andrea was confused. And as tears rained down her eyes, she handed Thomas his bag and asked him to leave her apartment.

"I'm sorry, Tom. You've always wanted me to move on. I cannot live without Josh coz I love him. I'm at a dead-end now. I cannot leave him. I love you, but I love him as well. I see an entire future with him. I hope you understand."

As tears gushed from his eyes, Thomas marched out of his sister's house and wandered on the street. His heart had never felt so heavy before. But did it end there? Unfortunately, no. Thomas had guessed little what else was in store for him in the days that were to follow.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay

Andrea moved on with her boyfriend, graduated summa cum laude, and settled into a good job. She seldom contacted her brother and stopped being involved in his life like before. The last time she'd reached out to Thomas was to send him her wedding invitation. But Thomas never showed up at his sister's big day, and she didn't have the time to find out why.

A few months after the wedding, Andrea realized she was unable to conceive. She visited the doctor and was diagnosed with infertility. Andrea was heartbroken because she loved children. Later, Josh and she decided to adopt a child, and one day, she visited a shelter on the outskirts of the city near her hometown.

When she met the children there, she was strangely drawn to a little girl who looked like her brother. At first glance, Andrea thought it could be Thomas's daughter she'd seen several years ago. The peculiar mole on her right hand confirmed her doubt. Alarmed, Andrea took her phone and called her brother, but his phone was switched off.

"Darling, what's your name? What's your father's name, and what are you doing here?" she asked the girl, just to be sure.

"My name is Libbie, and my dad's name is Thomas, and he..." the girl began to sob.

"Sweetie, what happened to your dad? Please tell me."

Libbie gulped back her tears and then revealed something that Andrea had not come prepared for.

"Daddy lost his hand while working in the garage. Our home was taken, and he sent me here, promising it was for my good."

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Andrea was startled. She assumed her brother had moved on with his life, but she knew nothing about his workplace accident or his disability.

"Where is your father now??"

"He lives in a trailer," Libbie answered and dropped onto Andrea's shoulders. "I want to go home to my daddy. Can you please take me?"

It crushed Andrea to the core when her own niece couldn't recognize her.

That evening, she visited her brother in his trailer and learned he had hurt his hand while working a night shift to send money for her tuition fees years ago. He had lost his job and was kicked out by his landlord for not paying rent. Ultimately, Thomas was forced to leave his daughter in the shelter to give her a better life because he hoped someone would adopt her.

"I was test-driving a customer's car after the repair, and the brakes failed. I rammed into a tree, and my hand was severely wounded. Thanks to the airbags, I was taken out alive. But I woke up to a missing hand, and my life turned into hell after that."

"Brother, why didn't you tell me?? Why do you love me, despite the horrible sister I have been to you? First, I hurt you and chose Josh over you. Then, I never contacted you after receiving your last money. And then I got so busy with my own life that I almost forgot about you thinking you were doing well," Andrea, torn apart by guilt and shame, hugged Thomas and cried.

"Because I promised I would be your father. Parents don't hate their children even if kids hate them. I know you don't hate me, but I'll always love you even if you do!"

A strange emotion of pain, guilt, and joy struck Andrea's heart then and there. A few days later, she reunited Thomas with his daughter and invited them to live with her in her house. But her decision did not go well with Josh, who still held a grudge against Thomas.

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Day by day, Josh grew increasingly intolerant of Thomas and Libbie's presence in his house. He was still jobless and spent Andrea's money playing online games, ordering food, and doing nothing to provide for her or the household. It hurt Thomas to know his sister's husband was 'good-for-nothing,' but he decided not to poke his nose in their affairs.

One day, Josh was furious when Andrea told Thomas about getting a prosthetic hand.

"A prosthetic hand?? Do you even know how much it costs?" he fumed at her.

"Yeah, I know. And what's so wrong with that? I'm paying for it. Why do you even ask??"

"I ask because I think you've forgotten we are married. I thought your brother and his daughter were our guests. When are they leaving?"

"Leaving?? No, they're not going anywhere. My brother and my niece will live with us."

Enraged, Josh gave Andrea an ultimatum again, asking her to choose between him and her brother.

"Don't forget I'm your husband. It's either your brother or me. The choice is yours, darling!!" he laughed, confident Andrea would choose him over her brother again. But to his shock, Andrea returned a few minutes later and burst the bubble by hurling Josh's suitcase out.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! I'LL SEND YOU THE DIVORCE PAPERS SHORTLY!"

Andrea kicked her partner out and hugged her brother and niece.

"I'd already committed a mistake I cannot correct all my life. I don't want history to repeat itself. I want to live with my family. You and Libbie are my family!"

From that day onward, Andrea cared for her brother and niece and even paid for Thomas's prosthetic hand. She divorced Josh a few months later and never regretted it. Her house was no longer just brick and cement but an abode filled with true love and happiness.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

What can we learn from this story?

• Surround yourself with people who unconditionally love you and care about you, not those who take you for granted. Blinded by her love for Josh, Andrea chose him over her brother, who sacrificed his entire future to build hers.
• Appreciate and cherish your family and express your love for them because it can all change in the blink of an eye. Andrea forgot about her brother in her desire to create a future with Josh. She regretted it only when she met her niece in the shelter and later learned her brother was disabled.

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A boy takes an abandoned little girl he finds in a park home. She becomes a part of his family, and while things appear perfect, her bio dad comes into the picture with a surprise. Click here to read the full story.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

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