People dressed in white rushed down long glossy hallways that smelled like rubbing alcohol. Hospitals were always places that I’d try to avoid. They were always full of sick complaining people, or crying family members. I slumped down in one of the wooden chairs in the waiting room. The rest of my family was sitting beside me, all except my mother. She was the reason we were here.

My mother was the comical relief and happiness booster in our family. But lately, she had been acting moody and irrational. Why you might ask? She was pregnant, that’s why. I was thirteen years old and already was a big sister to two other siblings. Why did we need another one?

My mother and I were as close as can be. We watched movies together, painted each other’s nails and even gossiped about friends. When other kids were embarrassed by the silly things their mom’s did, I joined in doing silly things with my mom. She wasn’t just my mother, she was my best friend. But, with a new baby in the family, what if she forgets to do all those cool things with me?

Anyway, I wasn’t sure I could be a big sister to another baby. What if this new one is annoying and poops all the time? I folded my arms and looked at a clock that was on the wall next to me. It was seven in the morning. We hadn’t been here long, but my mom had been here for hours already. My dad was the one that took my mom to the hospital at four in the morning, and then at six-thirty, he called my grandparents to take me and my brother and sister.

My dad kept walking back and forth from the room mom was in, and the waiting room. Then, finally, he told us to follow him. My brother and sister jumped up to follow him, but I lagged behind. This was it. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for; seeing the baby. I wasn’t so sure about this. I could understand why my brother and sister were so excited about the baby because they were new at this whole big brother/sister thing. But me, I was the old one. This was nothing too significant.

We filed into the room where our mom was. She was lying on a hospital bed and covered with a blue blanket, her curly hair wild around her face. My family crowded around her before I could even see what the baby looked like.

“Who wants to hold your new baby brother?” my mom asked.

My brother and sister fought over who should be allowed to hold him first. I just leaned against the wall.

“Erica,” my mom called to me, “would you like to hold the baby first?”

I soon found myself sitting in leather armchair while my dad placed my new baby brother in my arms.

At first, all I saw was a bundle of blue then; I saw I tuft of blond hair. I pulled down the blanket a little and came face to face with a chubby blue eyes baby. A little hand broke free from the bounds of blanket and tried to grasp my finger.

“His name is Ben,” my dad said.

Ben’s smooth face broke into a toothless smile, and I found myself smiling too.

“Hello, Ben,” I said. His soft fingers held mine tightly and his eyes sparkled with curiosity and tried focusing on my hand.

Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. I couldn’t help but feel warm elated feeling rising in my heart. From the firm way he was holding my finger, I could tell that he knew I was his sister. He needed me, and deep down maybe I needed him too.

“I’m your big sister,” I said.
Even though I thought that being a big sister again wouldn’t be as special as the first time, it felt just as special. I couldn’t help but think; this baby deserves a big sister just as any other baby does. Just because he was the youngest of four siblings didn’t make his birth any less significant.

I leaned down close to Ben’s ear, and even though he probably couldn’t understand me, I whispered, “I’m going to be the best big sister ever.”