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Description
Longer version in the works.

Continued from here.

Ethan felt like he had lost a part of himself when he moved from Québec City to Chicago with his family. Ever since he was little, Ethan considered Jacob his best friend and his blood brother. They had sworn to never leave each other's side. But fate had other plans, and Ethan's father got a job offer he couldn't refuse. So Ethan had to say goodbye to his home, his culture, and his best friend.

Ethan felt lost and sad. He longed for his pal Jacob like oxygen.

He hated his new life in Chicago. He hated the crassness, the noise, the people. He hated having to speak English all the time, when his heart spoke French. He hated the school, where he felt like an outsider. He hated the girl who tried to flirt with him, when he only wanted Jacob. He hated the pills that his mother made him take, after she took him to a doctor who said he was depressed. He didn't need pills, he needed Jacob.

He missed Jacob so much that it hurt. He missed his smile, his laugh, his voice. He wrote letters to Jacob every day, pouring out his feelings on paper, wetting the paper with his tears. But the letters were never enough. He wanted to see him, to throw his arms around him, to hold him close. He wanted to go back to Québec, where he belonged.

One night, he decided to do it. He packed a backpack with some clothes and a few things, especially those gifts that Jacob had given him. He left everything else. He waited until his parents were asleep, then he sneaked out of the house. He thumbed a ride to the library, then walked the rest of the way to the bus station, and bought a ticket to Québec with all his savings. He didn't care about the consequences, he only cared about Jacob.

He boarded the bus, feeling a surge of hope and excitement. He was going home. He was going to see Jacob again. He imagined how happy Jacob would be when he saw him. He imagined how they would hug each other and never let go. He imagined how they would tell each other everything that had happened in the past two months. He imagined how they would resume their friendship as if nothing had changed.

He smiled for the first time in a long time, as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep on the bus seat. He dreamed of Jacob.

The journey from Chicago to Québec City was grueling. Ethan spent more than a day on a cramped bus, with only brief stops for food and bathroom breaks. He felt every muscle in his body ache as he stepped off the bus at Gare du Palais. He knew that Jacob's family's apartment was only a 25-minute walk away. As tired as he was, he'd make it in only twenty.

He didn't mind the cold air or the snowflakes that landed on his face. He was too focused on seeing Jacob again, after months of separation. He missed him so much that it hurt. He walked faster, ignoring the pain in his feet.

He finally reached the apartment building and buzzed the intercom. Jacob's mother answered, her voice warm and familiar. She lit up seeing Ethan and told him to come up. She was waiting for him at the door, smiling and hugging him. She said she was so happy to see him, that he was like a son to her. Ethan thanked her and looked past her shoulder. There he was. Jacob.

Ethan felt a surge of emotion as he saw his face, his eyes, his smile. He ran towards him and wrapped his arms around him. Jacob hugged him back, tightly, as if he never wanted to let go. They both wept openly, tears of joy and relief streaming down their cheeks. They whispered private words of love and reassurance to each other.

Ethan felt a wave of peace wash over him. He was home. He was with Jacob. He vowed to himself that he would never leave him again, no matter what he had to do.

It wouldn't be easy, and his family would want him back, but he belonged here. And he would find a way.

Description
Longer version in the works.

Continued from here.

Ethan felt like he had lost a part of himself when he moved from Québec City to Chicago with his family. Ever since he was little, Ethan considered Jacob his best friend and his blood brother. They had sworn to never leave each other's side. But fate had other plans, and Ethan's father got a job offer he couldn't refuse. So Ethan had to say goodbye to his home, his culture, and his best friend.

Ethan felt lost and sad. He longed for his pal Jacob like oxygen.

He hated his new life in Chicago. He hated the crassness, the noise, the people. He hated having to speak English all the time, when his heart spoke French. He hated the school, where he felt like an outsider. He hated the girl who tried to flirt with him, when he only wanted Jacob. He hated the pills that his mother made him take, after she took him to a doctor who said he was depressed. He didn't need pills, he needed Jacob.

He missed Jacob so much that it hurt. He missed his smile, his laugh, his voice. He wrote letters to Jacob every day, pouring out his feelings on paper, wetting the paper with his tears. But the letters were never enough. He wanted to see him, to throw his arms around him, to hold him close. He wanted to go back to Québec, where he belonged.

One night, he decided to do it. He packed a backpack with some clothes and a few things, especially those gifts that Jacob had given him. He left everything else. He waited until his parents were asleep, then he sneaked out of the house. He thumbed a ride to the library, then walked the rest of the way to the bus station, and bought a ticket to Québec with all his savings. He didn't care about the consequences, he only cared about Jacob.

He boarded the bus, feeling a surge of hope and excitement. He was going home. He was going to see Jacob again. He imagined how happy Jacob would be when he saw him. He imagined how they would hug each other and never let go. He imagined how they would tell each other everything that had happened in the past two months. He imagined how they would resume their friendship as if nothing had changed.

He smiled for the first time in a long time, as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep on the bus seat. He dreamed of Jacob.

The journey from Chicago to Québec City was grueling. Ethan spent more than a day on a cramped bus, with only brief stops for food and bathroom breaks. He felt every muscle in his body ache as he stepped off the bus at Gare du Palais. He knew that Jacob's family's apartment was only a 25-minute walk away. As tired as he was, he'd make it in only twenty.

He didn't mind the cold air or the snowflakes that landed on his face. He was too focused on seeing Jacob again, after months of separation. He missed him so much that it hurt. He walked faster, ignoring the pain in his feet.

He finally reached the apartment building and buzzed the intercom. Jacob's mother answered, her voice warm and familiar. She lit up seeing Ethan and told him to come up. She was waiting for him at the door, smiling and hugging him. She said she was so happy to see him, that he was like a son to her. Ethan thanked her and looked past her shoulder. There he was. Jacob.

Ethan felt a surge of emotion as he saw his face, his eyes, his smile. He ran towards him and wrapped his arms around him. Jacob hugged him back, tightly, as if he never wanted to let go. They both wept openly, tears of joy and relief streaming down their cheeks. They whispered private words of love and reassurance to each other.

Ethan felt a wave of peace wash over him. He was home. He was with Jacob. He vowed to himself that he would never leave him again, no matter what he had to do.

It wouldn't be easy, and his family would want him back, but he belonged here. And he would find a way.