"elder sister?"
The little girl holding a gray short-haired puppy pushed open the heavy door, poked her head out from the crack, and looked at the person outside cautiously.
The weather began to get colder. A sudden chilly wind blew in, allowing the cold air to slip in through the crack in the door. The little girl shivered slightly, and a misty red color rose on her smooth, white cheeks.
The puppy in the little girl's arms whimpered and burrowed into the little girl's arms. It looked listless - this was strange, the puppy named Xiaoqi was usually very attached to its two owners.
It had been such a long time since I last saw the big master. Normally, it would have jumped down impatiently, run to its sister's feet, acted like a spoiled child, and circled around her legs to ask for a touch or a hug. But now it looked listless, with its tail hanging down and tucked between its legs, and it made a weak whimper, as if trying to attract the attention of its little master.
Animals are always more sensitive than humans.
Unfortunately, the little girl was so focused on her sister this time that she didn't notice the puppy's unusual reaction.
She just stroked the puppy very hard, as if to calm it down, then raised her eyes and looked hesitantly at her sister who had always been her idol.
"When are you coming back? I heard from the aunt in the duty room that you guys have changed shifts, so you can come back and rest." She didn't know why, facing such a familiar sister, she also became a little nervous, and rubbed the puppy in her arms vigorously, "Xiaoqi misses you too! Of course... I, I miss you a little too. I'm a little scared when I'm alone..."
Amid the sound of the wind, the woman sighed silently.
She finally stood up, and took the puppy from the little girl's arms as she had done before.
The puppy, who has always been active and has the potential to attract people even when brought to a crowded place, now desperately buried his head down, without any of his usual affectionate attitude.
But when my sister gently stroked its back, it seemed to suddenly stay still and stopped struggling.
"You'll always have to be alone." My sister said softly, with a subtle bitterness in her tone, "Baby, I can't stay with you forever."
"Why?"
The little girl's eyes seemed to widen slightly.
She usually receives so much love. Her sister often tells her, "I will always love you." "I will always protect you."
The love from her elder sister was always direct, unobtrusive, and unconcealed. This was the first time the little girl heard her elder sister, who was always gentle and affectionate, say to her:
There is no forever.
She always wants to be alone.
"Why?" The little girl, who got no answer, kept repeating it very seriously.
There was no anger or irritation in her tone. She didn't even have the slightest temper that a child of her age should have. She just felt very confused and couldn't help but question, "You love me, I love you too, why can't we be together forever? Sister takes care of me, and I will take care of sister in the future. I don't want to be alone - and I don't want sister to be alone."