They Could Care Less

34: Unexpected Family Members and Events

A hand was placed carefully on top of Thea's and she slowly looked up with bloodshot eyes.

"Why are you crying, sweetheart?" Thea's mom looked at her with a sweet smile. Thea wiped her tears and smiled back though her heart ached.

"Why are you back so early?"

"I only had a museum visit today," Thea lied the best she could and wiped her face dry with a smile.

"Why is your gym bag here? You need to wash your clothes," her mom said and Thea nodded.

"I will. I'm lucky that I actually have it, I forgot it in my coach's car. Damon was kind enough to return it," she told her mom and smiled even wider.

"Damon?" her mom frowned.

"Yeah, he's my coach," Thea answered, realizing she never told her mom that.

"Damon Miller?" her mother asked quickly and Thea nodded.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Thea asked curiously. Thea had always watched the basketball games where Damon was playing by herself since no one else was interested. "He's a retired basketball player you know, I've always idolised him. Imagine my joy when I found out he was going to coach me," Thea grinned like a kid, but her mother looked anything but happy.

"Thea," Christina's strict and serious voice called for her from the door. Thea looked up, startled.

"Why won't you go and get something to drink? I'll sit here with your mom," Christina said and stepped into the room with a serious cloud hanging over her. Thea slowly nodded and got up without protests and left the room, her mom look puzzled as she left. What was that about?

Thea walked to the vending machine and stood there for a few minutes as she tried to decide what to get. She pulled up some change from her pocket and played around with it until she finally decided to go with a bottle of soda and a chocolate bar, she needed the sugar to get through the day.

Thea walked back to the room satisfied with her choices, though Christina and her mom was for sure not to be. Soda and chocolate in the middle of day before lunch? Every worried parent or guardian's worst nightmare. Tired nurses and doctors gave Thea smiles as they crossed paths and Thea politely returned the gesture until she got to the room, but she stopped right before she was about to enter.

"What do you mean you never told him?" Thea heard her angered mom hiss loudly.

"Maria, don't be mad, I did it for you and Thea," a calm, collected but hurt Christina replied.

"By removing her dad from her life?" Maria couldn't contain her voice anymore and she sounded furious.

"You know he was not going to take responsibility, Maria!" Christina said in a louder and more upset voice.

"You were being selfish and judgmental, Christina," her mother whispered followed by coughs.

"Damon was never going to take care of you and Thea, and you know it. So don't you dare turn this back around on me!" Christina screamed and a nurse nearby turned her head suspiciously towards their direction. Thea's heart had seemed to stop and she dropped the things in her hand which silenced both Christina and Thea's mom. Thea heard a chair being pushed back before Christina stepped out of the room and looked around. She saw Thea and instantly opened her mouth to come up with excuses.

"No, I don't want to hear," Thea said rapidly with a determined voice and clenched fists. She had never been so determined about something ever before.

"Thea, please, let us exp-" Christina tried to grab Thea's arm, but Thea forcefully slapped her hand away.

"Thea, sweet-" Thea's mom called from inside the room followed by the sounds of moving objects.