“ Mother, Ann, I’ll be back in an hour!” Robert called, climbing into the red Fiat. 
The car pulled out of the Li’s driveway in Sacramento, California.

Ann did not need to guess where her brother was going. He was going on a date 
with his beautiful girlfriend Devon. She stared wistfully at the fading car, and
wished she had Robert. People often said Ann did not resemble her family, 
and they were not wrong. After all, she was an adopted child. Ann had 
beautiful black hair and a slim body fit for a fifteen year old, while
Robert’s handsome features and slick blonde hair resembled his father, 
who died years ago. Mrs. Vicky Li, the kind widow, as most people called her, 
was not beautiful for a woman of forty eight. But her kind face had no 
wrinkles and her blonde hair showed no specks of gray.

Ann had a crush on Robert for three years now, and she loved him far more than
a brother. His blue eyes could catch any girl’s heart, but Ann knew in her own
heart that she loved Robert more than anyone else in the world, even Mrs. Li.

Ann spent the hour reading and waiting for Robert, as she always did. The clock
ticked noisily and the sounds of Mrs. Li’s knitting and her chair rocking could be
heard throughout the house,

Late into the night the sound of keys in the door was heard and the door creaked
open. A boy Robert of age eighteen stepped in quietly as a mouse and went up to 
his sister, who had fallen asleep waiting for him on the couch, her book across her
lap. Silently, he went up and put her head on his shoulder. The sleeping girl
stirred but fell back into her slumber. Robert Ann’s head gently for a 
while, then kissed her cheek. The moments of silence were broken by the loud 
chimings of the grandfather clock, indicating midnight.

“ Ann, I know your feelings toward me,” Robert whispered into the night and to 
his sleeping sister. His voice was so soothing, like a lullaby.

“ I am sorry I am unable to love you back as more, but I will always love you,
almost as I love Devon. You are a beautiful and gentle girl, like the night breeze
that lures me to sleep each night. I have to go for a while now. 
Sleep well.” Robert slowly lifted Ann’s face up to his, then gently placed his lips 
over hers. It was a short kiss, but a true one. 

Seconds later the boy left again. Ann opened her eyes and gazed at the
empty driveway, trying to recall the kiss that she only half remembered, 
then fell back asleep.

The quiet dawn house of the Li were once again disturbed by the shrill ringing of
the phone. Ann rose from the couch and picked up the phone that rand at two 
o’clock. A male voice spoke.

“ Miss Li, this is Officer Daniel from the Sacramento Police Department. 
I think you’d better come down to South Street.