I've been reduced to a crying mess in the bed where Rin continues to sing to me as she plays with my hair. Sometimes she fashions it into elaborate braids, other times she just strokes it. And still she sings in that same odd language, which I still can't place.

"What language is that?" I ask as she finishes her fourth song.

"It's Thai," she says, undoing a microscopic braid in my hair. "I was adopted from there when I was six, and I used to sing to all the babies in the home where we lived."

I'm heartbroken for her. "How old are you?"

"Ten," she replies. "Why?"

I look at my toes. "I don't have a father either," I say. "He left when I was seven. And I barely see my mom. So I know a little of what that's like."

Rin just stares at me. What's she going to say? Finally her lips tug upwards in a sympathetic smile. I smile back, and we sit like this for a bit, her braiding my hair and me letting her. We go on until I hear footfalls on the stairs. Rin looks up excitedly.

"Takashi!" she yells joyfully, running into a boy's arms. He's blond, with kind blue eyes. As he scoops Rin up in his arms, he looks at me.

"Where'd you pick her up from?" the boy, whose name is apparently Takashi, asks. I've heard that name before...

"She was at the Boss fight!" Rin exclaims. "She almost died, but a boy helped me bring her here."

Takashi puts Rin down and grips her shoulders. "You know what I told you about talking to strangers."

I interject, "It's all right. I know the guy from school."

Takashi looks at me and smiles playfully. "Did you follow any of the advice in that book?" he asks.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say. Then I get it. "Oh, you're the one who..."

"Yeah," Takashi laughs. "Maybe if you'd read it more you wouldn't have needed Rin to save you."

"So you know her?" I ask.

Takashi picks Rin up and holds her at his waist with one arm. "You could say that. I adopted her as my little sister."