So we became each other’s family.
Leaving the Orphanage
When we turned eighteen and aged out of the system, the world suddenly felt enormous and frightening.
But we had each other.
We shared a tiny apartment near the community college. The building was old, the heating barely worked, and the furniture came from thrift stores and sidewalk giveaways.
But we made it ours.
Noah studied computer science. I worked part-time at a bookstore while attending classes.
Money was always tight.
We counted coins, stretched groceries, and celebrated small victories—like when we could finally afford a secondhand couch.
Somewhere along the way, our friendship turned into something deeper.
One evening, after a long day of classes, Noah looked at me and said quietly:
“I think I’ve loved you longer than I realized.”
I smiled.
“Me too.”
For illustrative purposes only
