Florence Cho isn't stupid. Formal education may be inaccessible in the Lawless Zone, but she makes do with what she has. What she knows the most about is her siblings. While Parker doesn't truly care for academics, his intelligence lies in his empathy. Amaryllis is sharp as a tack; in a few years, the girl will be able to speak circles around anyone she encounters. Maryanne has excellent spatial awareness and, if she ever breaks away from being a spoiled brat, she'll make a good cartographer. Cho is attentive, of course she knows these things. It's a comfort.
Everything changes when her youngest sister is born.
Kumo is a terror. She's fussy and loud, won't let anyone touch her without throwing a fit, not even mom, she won't nurse, she won't smile, and she won't shut up. Maryanne is a certified problem child and doesn't compete with the level of hell Kumo's putting everyone through. When their mom brings her to a doctor, he says, 'Situations like this are completely normal and all she needs is some time to adjust because certain children can be a bit finicky.' Cho knows that's it's just a lie from some lazy asshole who doesn't know what's wrong.
In her heart, Cho believes Kumo will die. Mom can't nurse her properly. Although Parker doesn't give up, everyone else does.
It's odd, watching her brother shut himself inside mom's former room – she's in Cho's, now – with the family's newest addition. She knows if anyone can deal with the nightmare that is Kumo, it's Parker. People, young or old, are his specialty. Almost two years of that room quieting down and Parker's pleased announcements of, 'She's doing so much better!' or, 'She's a super smart baby, guys, it's crazy!' or, 'She's almost ready… I think…' calm Cho somewhat.
That calm diminishes when she encounters an older Kumo. There's an air of reticence around the babe that isn't natural. She questions her brother's methods, though she largely doubts he can commit any unspeakable act. It goes deeper than that. Her sister's dry amusement and evaluative eyes don't sit well with Cho. As the toddler fluidly reads a story book, only stumbling on pronunciation due to her lack of teeth, Cho comes to a conclusion.
There is something very wrong with her youngest sibling.
Cho seems to be the only one who notices unimpressed curl of her lips when anyone speaks to her, the cross furrow of her brow, the way her fingers clench and unclench when she misspeaks. She hides her expressions well around Parker, absolutely enamored with their only brother. There's nothing wrong with her honest face when she's around Maryanne, who's spiteful and cruel with her status of youngest stripped away. But Cho knows it's not because of Maryanne's treatment of her. At worst, Kumo is apathetic. She's civil in a way children shouldn't be with Amaryllis, addresses mom by first name, and Cho will be damned if her baby sister isn't purposely avoiding her.
It's not natural.
Cho doesn't know what it is about her youngest sister that makes her feel this way, but she doesn't like it. She doesn't like the way Kumo consumes more books in a month than Parker has in the last two years, she doesn't like the way Kumo smirks when Maryanne insults her, and she doesn't like the way Kumo faints in the middle of the day when Parker takes her to the market square.
For eight days following, the little girl does nothing but sit in a corner, staring at the wall as if it's one of her books. Her eyes are empty, hollow and searching in a way that makes Cho's blood cold. The way she tenses at gunshots isn't abnormal, but the way she tenses when Parker goes to leave shows awareness out of place in a kid her age.
Another week passes and it seems almost ironic that when Kumo was only a few weeks old, she'd never quiet, screaming and crying for reasons no one knew. Now, she's silent. She won't say a word. And still, no one knows what's wrong. If her family is the tide then Kumo is the moon. She has a certain sway, a control over the house with nothing more than her mood.
It's not natural.
Cho worries about her baby sister. She's sullen and unfriendly for a tot, kind of creepy, even, but she's a Florence and all mom knows how to do is coddle; Cho's a solutions girl. But no matter how hard she searches for one, she can't find it.