At 14 I was left to raise my 6-year-old brother until the system tore us apart The day they took Samuel away, I made him a promise: "This isn't forever." Eight foster homes, countless court petitions, three jobs, and night school — every dollar I earned went to keeping a tiny apartment ready for him, with his favorite dinosaur sheets washed and his worn-out teddy bear waiting on the pillow. During our supervised visits, he would whisper, "When can I come home?" and I’d choke out, "Soon," praying