Shameless, Reckless Love (GirlxGirl)

Part 3: Chapter 1

Dealing with death is hard. The feeling of that deep cut in your life. The waking emotion of something lacking in your body. It's hard to talk, and it's hard to walk. It's hard to think about anything but leaning over that open window. It's just unbearable.

But for the Gallagher kids, dealing with the living dead was even harder.

Eden's father wasn't dead. No. In fact, she knew the bastard would live a long life, no doubt about that. But he might as well have been dead. He was more cut off from their lives now than ever before. He rarely spoke. And he always looked, and acted, as if his spirit was no longer attached to this world.

While living at the Lakeshore Hospital, the only people who were willing to see him were Declan and Cora. So Fabian always had to swallow down his frustration just to make it easier for him to bring them to see their dad.

Once December came, which had consisted of an awkward, somber-like Christmas, it had also been Declan's 12th birthday. For his birthday, all he wanted was to visit Mel. Eden never went to the hospital of course, but Declan would tell her that Mel seemed to always look grayer, and more depressing. And he began talking more cautiously. As if every time he spoke, he felt that he'd be giving away some sort of secret, or plan.

Sure enough, the following month, the hospital called the Gallagher family to inform them all that Mel had escaped from the institution. They tried to explain that it was all their fault, and that Mel had gone away with a foolish employee of the hospital, but it didn't matter in the slightest to the Gallagher siblings after a while. It didn't make a difference. Mel's escaped them before. Why would another time be so different?

Currently, it's the midst of February, and it's not surprising that the Gallaghers have already begun to endure through Mel's absence. Life moved on as simply as they did.

Moreover, Lib decided to finally stay home, realizing that nothing was ever going to be okay unless everyone stuck together. She continues her senior year, handling the fact that there would be a lot to catch up on now, more than before. But instead of going back to her old school, she decides to attend Eden's. She felt like starting the whole year on a newer, fresher page.

The afternoon is upon everyone as they settle back in from both work and school.

Fabian starts finding Han's Pizza Shoppe menu to order takeout, Lib was upstairs studying, Cora has been occupied on her new phone she got for Christmas, and Declan sits watching action movies while Leona walks all around the living room, making a mess with toys. It was the usual kind of display at the Gallagher home. The only difference is that it's a new year.

Eden suddenly walks in through the back door with Mitchell behind her. The top of their heads were damp since there still seemed to be snow flurries outside. Mitchell quickly shuts the door behind him.

"Heya, Gallaghers!" Mitchell says to everyone, as he and Eden begin to take their boots and coats off.

"Hey!" everyone else calls to him.

"It's ridiculously cold out today." Eden complains under her breath.

"Yeah, my balls still hurt." Fabian jokes off to the side. Eden makes a gag sound.

"Shut up!" she tells him, making a disgusted face.

"Oh, have you seen the pizza menu?" Fabian then asks. Eden shrugs her shoulders.