Superhero

9

Harper sat at her desk.

Rubbing her eyes in exhaustion, she forced them to focus on the complicated equations that coated the page.

Her eyes briefly flickered to an old picture. Her arms were around the neck of a taller boy. He was holding her up in a piggy back style. His light blond hair was flicked out of the way and they were laughing.

If there was one thing she regretted, it was not being to protect him.

Harper's eyes began tearing up, she wasn't sure if it was because she was tired or because she missed him.

Hurriedly, she wiped the tears away and climbed out of her window onto the roof.

The moon shined bright in the sky and small stars dotted the darkness. She took a deep breath and let it out.

She gave up on holding it all in and allowed herself to cry. Sobbing with only the night sky as a witness.

Eventually, her body gave out and she fell asleep.

What she didn't feel was her body being carried in strong arms, and a soothing voice whispering in her ear over and over again even as she weeped in her sleep,
"You're okay,"

She also didn't hear his choked sob or see the look of regret and guilt flooding his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, I never meant to make you cry."