Idea
"Did you beat up the anti-abortion group outside the clinic?" Punk mumbled, sitting in the hospital waiting room beside Thea.
"I wish." Thea shook her head, "I smacked a lady with her sign. That was it." She said, "I mean… how evil can they be to stand outside the clinic and spew their shit? It's about enough doing it anywhere else but there…" Thea shook her head, "I'd never tell anyone how to feel. And I'd never judge anyone for what they believe in. Religion or otherwise. But this… I'm sorry but I draw the line at this."
"Hey, don't apologise." Punk scoffed, "I hear you." He nodded.
"It's like waking up in an episode of the fucking Handmaids Tale." Thea shook her head, "I'm genuinely scared for my daughters and what kind of world they're going to grow up in." She said, "And now with Sofia… this puts her at a disadvantage. The icing on the cake would be if she inherits my mental illness." Thea rambled on as Punk looked at her, "Disability. Mental illness from mother. Woman with no rights-"
"Would you come up for air?" Punk nudged her, "And stop with the faulty thinking." He said as Thea ran her hands over her face with frustration.
"She's going to be coming home soon and I have no clue how to… look after her." Thea worried.
"Of course you do." Punk shook his head, "Enough with then negative thoughts. You're taking care of her right now and you're doing just fine. And you have all of us to lean on for support." He nodded as Thea sighed, "Don't think the worst about every little thing. Please."
"Easier said than done." Thea said, "I'm just so terrified of watching her struggle and suffer because of this. Dominic keeps telling me that she can live a normal life, just like any other girl her age, but… how?"
"By equipping her with all the things she needs. Thea, no one is saying it's going to be easy. There might be things you all have to adapt to. All of us. New ways that Sofia has to live. But she'll still be living. And she'll be living well. It's been two weeks and she's already pretty good at walking around. She's been eating just fine on her own. She dressed herself yesterday morning, right?" He said.
"Yeah. She did." Thea nodded, remembering the joy she felt watching Sofia get dressed so efficiently.
"It's just all about adapting, babe." Punk said, "And you will. All of us will."
"Believe me, I hate that all I'm thinking about are the negatives but… I can't help it. I want the best for all my kids. That's not a crime." Thea said.
"And they'll all get the best. Sofia included." Punk said.
"I don't want her to feel different or… get bullied. She could be getting bullied and not even realise." Thea said with a lump in her throat, "Or when she's older she could… be in danger and not realise."
"That's when all the different things we gotta learn will come into place. All the different tools and devices… whatever it is she needs, they'll help her. When she's older… please trust me on this… she's going to be living just the same as James and Sam are." He said as Thea looked at him.
"You don't know that." She whispered.
"I believe it. With every fibre of my being." Punk said.
"Where is mom?" Thea asked, picking at her nails as Punk separated her hands from each other.
"Milkshake date with Sam." Punk told her.
"Gosh, I'm just leaving my kids with you both all the time." Thea sighed, "I'm sorry… it's not fair-"
"Hey, that isn't a problem. That's never going to be a problem." Punk told her.
"Some days are good and then other days I just feel like…" She paused, "Dread and anxiety."
"I think that's pretty normal given what's going on. We're all feeling like that. You're not an alien." He nodded, "But you're here every day and that's what is gonna get Sofia through this."
"I thought that little voice in my head had disappeared." She nodded as Punk looked at her.
"What voice?" He asked.
"That tells me that having a drink right now will solve everything." Thea shook her head, "When I know fine well it won't." She said, "I thought I'd gotten rid of her." She shook her head, rubbing her forehead stressfully.
"Tell her to fuck off." Punk said as Thea turned to him, "Tell her to fuck off with her stupid, dumb ideas. You got things to do. A daughter to help. A life to live." He said as Thea nodded slowly.
"Fuck off." Thea whispered to herself.
"How do you even start a business?" Jude sighed, sitting on the living room floor with a project in front of her which she had been working on, "Make business cards and post them through locals doors?" She turned to Sean who was sitting on the sofa behind her.
"You could start there." Sean nodded, "Or put up flyers." He said as Jude nodded.
"What if it doesn't work out? I mean… not everyone wants a mural painted in their house." She said, "It's a very timely thing, right?" She said, "This could be a massive fail. I should probably think about going for a real job-"
"This is a real job. You're not gonna know anything until you give it a go." Sean said, "I've seen your work. When this takes off, it's gonna take off." He nodded, sure of it.
"You have to say that." Jude scoffed, folding her legs in a basket, leaning over and continuing with her project.
"What's this?" Sean asked, sitting up a little and looking over.
"Just for a competition at the institute." Jude said, "I used to enter them all the time when I studied and worked there." She nodded, "It's been hard to find any kind of inspiration right now." She sighed, leaning back, "Sofia always loved my drawings." She said, sitting her pencil down.
"Yeah." Sean nodded in agreement, "You heard anything?"
"No, just that she's doing ok." Jude shrugged, "She's been walking and getting around some more. Maybe she'll be home soon." Jude nodded positively.
"Yeah, hopefully." Sean said.
"How has work been?" She asked him, "You starting to fit in?" She teased.
"I think so." Sean nodded, "Although it's obvious a lot of people aren't happy about me being there. Or… more so not happy that Theo isn't chief." He said, "Which is fine… I get it." He shrugged.
"They'll get used to it." Jude said, "Boss man." She nudged his knee as he smiled.
"It's a good place to work. Lot of good people on the team." Sean nodded.
"How has Cassie been with you?" She asked.
"Better. She's pretty wrapped up in starting out in homicide so… I think hating on me has been put on hold." Sean said.
"Her and Theo are working together?" Jude asked.
"Yeah." Sean nodded, "So far so good."
"Yeah until they have a disagreement and work starts following them home." Jude said, "I don't think it's such a good idea." She said.
"They work well together." Sean said, "I don't think it's anything to worry about."
"I think we did it." Theo nodded, wrapping his arm around Cassie's shoulder, standing in the middle of the nursery they'd finally finished for their baby girl, who was arriving in just a few shorts weeks now.
"Nothing's missing, is there?" Cassie made sure, looking around.
"Nothing but her." Theo said as Cassie smiled, walking over to the crib.
"I can't believe she's going to be here soon." Cassie said, "God, it feels so conflicting right now." She said, turning around to him.
"Yeah, I know." Theo understood.
"It sounds like Sofia might be getting home pretty soon, though. And she's been walking and getting around on her own better." Cassie nodded positively. Whilst she wanted to be so excited for the arrival of their baby girl, she just couldn't help feel the pang and ache in her hurt for her niece and everything that she was going through.
"There's gonna be tons of stuff they can get for her that's gonna help, right?" Theo nodded.
"Yeah well Thea was talking about things like audio translators and different sensory things they were going to get in the house." Cassie nodded, "They've been looking into it all."
"Are they ok… financially? It's not our business, I know. But if there's anything we can do to help. Anything we can buy-"
"They're good." Cassie nodded, "Dominic's parents died when he was young and left everything to him and his brother."
"Oh." Theo nodded.
"Both lawyers." Cassie added.
"Oh." Theo understood better.
"But we can still do whatever we can. We can make sure we have the stuff in our house, so she's comfortable whenever she comes to visit." Cassie said as Theo nodded.
"Yeah, definitely." Theo said.
"She's coming home next week." Thea nodded, walking outside with her sister's down the street from the hospital the next day, taking them up on their offer for some fresh air and ice-cream.
"That's amazing." Jude said, "I bet she'll be so excited to get home."
"Yeah, she is." Thea smiled, "She said she can't wait to sleep in her own bed." She nodded.
"Bless her." Cassie smiled, licking her ice-cream cone, "Theo wants to know what kind of things we should get for the house, things to make her feel comfortable whenever she comes to visit." She said.
"Oh, yeah. We'll take a note too." Jude said as Thea smiled.
"Thank you." Thea said, "There's a lot. I'll write it down for you guys. Mom and dad have asked too." She nodded.
"When James was staying with us he kept talking about a guide dog." Jude said.
"Yeah, well Sofia isn't that fond of dogs so she's not too keen on that idea." Thea said, "But we're gonna get her home first before we start bombarding her with things to try." She said, "It could take a while to find what she prefers. That's what the liaison nurse said."
"Well, it makes sense. Everything is gonna be so different and new for her. She'll need to get used to it." Cassie nodded.
"Yeah, but she will." Thea hoped, trying to be positive, grasping onto the tiniest bit of positivity she had left in her.
"Of course she will." Jude placed her arm around Thea's waist, hugging into her tightly.
"Hey, what's going on with you guys? C'mon, fill me in." Thea said, missing some simple life conversation with her sisters.
"Oh, nothing." Cassie said. It was hard keeping her secret, but she knew it wouldn't be much longer of keeping it, "Me and Theo are working together."
"Well, according to Sean." Jude added.
"Oh, so that's how it is. You and him gossip about us now?" Cassie teased whilst Thea walked in between them.
"You guys are all fine again, right?" Thea wondered.
"Yeah, we're fine." Cassie mumbled, licking her ice-cream as Jude smiled over at her a little.
"I'm just saying." Jude said, "He thinks you work well together. That's a good thing."
"We do work well together." Cassie nodded cockily.
"Do you guys screw on your break?" Thea asked as Cassie looked at her, mid licking her ice-cream, "What? Like that's not a fair question to ask."
"If we have time." Cassie nodded.
"Good for you. That's a good set up." Thea nodded.
"Don't you go telling Sean." Cassie pointed her ice-cream at Jude who scoffed.
"I don't think he would give a shit about that." Jude rolled her eyes, "Any of you guys tried to start a business?"
"No." Thea said, "Dominic has, though. He's got the business with his brother."
"I can't bug him for advice right now." Jude shook her head.
"He wouldn't mind." Thea said.
"Is this to do your murals and stuff?" Cassie asked.
"Yeah." Jude said, "I don't know if I'm just wasting my time." She said.
"You are really good at them." Thea said, "I think you should invest your time into it. You said you've kinda fell out of love with teaching so… go for it. You're the artist. Show people your art." She nodded.
"But how?" Jude sighed.
"Is this where you smacked the pro-lifer?" Cassie asked, walking by the abortion clinic on the street.
"Yeah." Thea shook her head, "Fucking idiots."
"Can't you arrest them for doing it outside the clinic? I mean… talk about just being evil." Jude said.
"Apparently not." Cassie sighed, turning round the corner, "I know what I'd do with them… I'd get a snow plough." She nodded.
"Oh, now you're talking." Thea said, realising Jude had stopped a few steps back, "What are you doing?" She and Cassie stopped, looking back at Jude who had stopped in her tracks, looking at the side of the building of the abortion clinic.
"Admiring the architecture?" Cassie scoffed, walking towards Jude with Thea.
"I have an idea." Jude smiled to herself.
