1998 - Ontario, Canada
Sixteen year old Roisin had given birth to her son Lorcan three months ago and she had been emancipated two weeks ago. This meant that in the eyes of the court, she is an adult. She doesn't have to listen to Siobhan anymore.
Lorcan still wasn't sleeping through the night, so Roisin had gotten up with him several times in the night.
In the morning when Siobhan came to wake up Roisin for work and take Lorcan from his crib, she found the room empty and all off the teen's and the baby's stuff was packed up and gone.
Siobhan knew that Roisin had gotten emancipated, but she didn't know that the teen would just up and disappear.
'How am I meant to protect her now?' Siobhan thought as she remembered what Carlton had said to her not that many years ago about hiding Sarah and Roisin in the black.
"Mum!" Sarah called from downstairs. She didn't get an answer, so she yelled, "Mum! We have to go!"
Still not getting a response from Siobhan, Sarah headed up the stairs where she found her normally strong mother sitting on Roisin's bed sobbing into a pillow that she was holding in her arms. As if it were serving as a surrogate or replacement for Roisin.
Sarah looked around the empty room. She was very confused.
'Where's Rosie? And where's Lorcan?' Sarah thought.
Sarah knew that Roisin and their mother weren't exactly close since they had moved to Ontario, but she couldn't believe that her older sister would run away. That she would abandon her younger sister and little brother. Especially since a seven year old Roisin had made a promise to a five year old Sarah. A promise to always be there for her and to never leave her. To always love and protect her.
'Why would Rosie break her promise?' Sarah wondered as she sat down next to her mother and just hugged her.
Siobhan was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Sarah. Her mind was racing as she thought about all the bad things that could happen to Roisin.
'What if the people I'm supposed to protect her from, get to her?' Siobhan thought, 'What if she gets raped and murdered? What will happen to Lorcan?'
Siobhan felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her and the next thing she knew, she was vaguely hearing Sarah's soothing voice, but she was crying too hard to be able to respond. Even if she could respond, she didn't trust her own voice because she couldn't be sure what would leave her mouth if she opened it. She couldn't have all her closely guarded secrets coming to light. The secrets that pertain directly to Roisin and Sarah.
"It's okay, Mum, we don't need her." Sarah assured, but that was the furthest thing from the truth because in the back of her mind, she was thinking, 'Why would you leave me, Rosie? Why would you leave when I still need you and Fee needs you?'
Little did Sarah know that Siobhan wasn't just crying about Roisin being gone, but she was crying because she had failed. Roisin was gone and she couldn't protect her anymore.
Within a few minutes Siobhan pulled herself together as she sniffled and then she wiped her tears on her sleeve. She hugged Sarah back and pulled her close.
"Promise me that you'll never leave. At least not until you're eighteen and go off to college." Siobhan pleaded
"I promise, Mum. And I promise never to party or drink and use drugs like Rosie did before she got pregnant." Sarah agreed. She never wanted to make her mother feel this way. The way that Roisin has made Siobhan feel by leaving. She never wanted to cause her mother to cry.
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