"But I care about you Mark," I said stepping forward and putting my hands on Mark's heaving chest. "And you can't do this little brother. Please Mark you're already in trouble." I looked Mark in the eye and as my emotions began to catch up with me, my lip started to tremble as I continued;

"Please don't prove the people from the group home right about you Mark." I could feel the tears running down my cheeks as I added; "Please don't make my dad right about you, he thinks you're just like our father."

"I'm not our father." Mark said softly.

His eyes seemed to lose some of their...