I named the main character in my first novel after my foster brother. I wanted him to know he was never temporary.

The author named the main character in her first novel after her foster brother, Nathaniel. Courtesy of Kris Ann Valdez When my parents became foster parents, Nathaniel and his sisters were our first placement. He only lived with us for two years, but we stayed close long after he left our home. I named the main character in my novel after him to show him he'd always been my brother. I was 10 years old when my parents decided to become foster parents . I was 28, married, and with a child of my own when they took their last placement. Throughout those years, my parents adopted five of our foster siblings through the foster-to-adopt program. But not every foster sibling stayed. As a family, we mourned every placement's end, whether a child was placed with a different foster family or with biological relatives. Saying goodbye was one thing.