Jake was only three years old—chubby cheeks, big curious eyes, and wobbly little legs that couldn’t do much more than stumble a few steps before plopping down. He couldn’t talk yet, not really. Just babbles, giggles, and the occasional squeal when something excited him (like juice boxes or puppies).

But none of that mattered to Katie.

Katie was sixteen, the most popular girl at school, captain of the cheer team, always perfectly dressed with her phone in one hand and Jake in the other. Literally. She never put him down. Whether it was the mall, her friend’s house, or even Starbucks, Jake was tucked on her hip like he was the cutest accessory in the world.

“Awwww, is this your baby brother?” people would gush, and Katie would beam with pride.

“Yup! This is Jake,” she’d say, tightening her hold as Jake squirmed a little. “Isn’t he adorable? He’s obsessed with me.”

Jake, of course, wasn’t obsessed. He just wanted to be put down sometimes. His tiny legs would kick and flail, and he’d make frustrated little grunts like, let me goooo. But Katie would laugh and kiss his cheek.

“Nope. You’re staying with me, bubba,” she’d say, smoothing his wild hair and adjusting him on her hip. “You’re too cute to let go.”

Sometimes, Jake would reach down like he wanted to walk or crawl or just move, but Katie would scoop him right back up. “You’re gonna thank me one day when you’re older,” she’d joke, spinning slowly with him in the middle of Target. “Everyone thinks you’re a star.”

He didn’t know what a star was, but he liked the attention… for a little while. Then he’d get tired of being passed around like a trophy and just go limp in her arms like a sleepy potato.

But no matter how much he squirmed, Katie never let him out of her sight. To her, Jake wasn’t just her baby brother—he was her favorite person in the whole world.

And even though he didn’t have the words to say it yet, Jake loved her just as much.