The unfortunate adventures of Sarah Richards

Chapter nineteen ~progress~

My parents decided they would joint handle the case of Thea's wish. It only made sense since, they were the next closest adults to her and this was not a case one could likely handle alone.
So, Monday morning, they were gone. They hadn't said when they would be back but I assume it would be very late. Thea and I had the job of watching my baby brother for the day.
"So, my mother left us with a list of things Orwell can and can't have to eat. And my father suggested we go to the Wissahickon or maybe Pastorius park since that's closer and easier to take a stroller into..." I started rambling as Thea and I headed downstairs to get my baby brother out of his crib. My parents had left before he woke up. "Oh, let's go to Pastorius." Thea said excitedly. "Alright, Pastorius it is then." I chuckled as i picked Orwell up slowly from his crib. He blinked his massive blue eyes awake and gazed at Thea with a most confused look on his little face, then back to me. "It's me again." Thea giggled, planting a gentle kiss on the top of his head. "Let's get everyone fed, shall we? Then we can head to the park." I was pretty insistent with Thea when i said this even after she rejected it time and time again, she was going to have breakfast. I was slowly learning that not only did she self harm, but Thea also ate far less than she should on a daily basis.
"Here's hoping he likes me." Thea laughed as she finished mixing the bottle of formula for my brother while i cooked eggs for the both of us. "I'm sure he does." I reassured my girlfriend as she sat down with my brother in her lap and began to feed him. He took to it right away. "See? He was either too hungry to care or likes you. Or maybe a mix of the two." I laughed as i served breakfast.
After breakfast, we got dressed to go to the park. I was in my black shorts and unicorn crop top with a white tank top underneath it. Thea had on shorts that were almost the exact same colour of her green eye and a blue muscle shirt with a dream catcher on it. And of course there was baby Orwell in nothing but a diaper because it was too hot for the poor dear to wear anything else.
Halfway through the walk to Pastorius park, Thea stopped dead in her tracks and gave me a horrified look then folded her arms and scrunched up her face as if she were going to cry. I stopped pushing my brother's stroller and walked back to Thea. "Babe, what's wrong?" I asked quietly, pulling her to the side of the walk so strangers could still go past. "I forgot my hoodie. People can see my arms." She whispered and turned her wrists up for me to see. They were laced with scars from self harm. "If anybody dares say anything about it, they'll have me to answer to." I said in a low voice and tipped her chin up to look at me. "You're gonna be okay. They'll fade before you know it." I whispered before planting a quick kiss on her cheek. Orwell was looking up at us from the stroller and making kissy faces. "And i wont make any new ones." Thea whispered in reply. I could hear by her voice that she was on the verge of tears so i planted another quick kiss on her cheek. Orwell squealed and bounced in his seat, still making kissy faces. "Somebody's jealous!" I laughed, bending down to kiss my baby brother's cheek. "Glad to know a six month old accepts us." I added sarcastically as we began walking again. When we neared the park entrance, i could hear kids yelling and dogs barking. It was a lovely day so i didn't blame them for being out. "Look out!!" A young boy's voice shouted as we walked through the opening to the park. A ball went sailing past my face, over the stroller and straight into the side of Thea's head. She stumbled to the side clutching her ear, a pained grimace going across her face. All of a sudden a pain spread across my head as if i had been hit too. "Sorry!" An annoying looking kid ran past and picked up the ball aa we headed for a bench to sit. "Are you okay?" I groaned, clutching the side of my head as well. "Yeah. I've felt worse. Did it hit you too?" Thea whimpered. I shook my head. "No. I think the phantom pains may have a connection to the things that you are feeling." I rasped. My ear was ringing and the side of my head was very sore. "Then i think i know why you passed out." Thea said slowly as i took Orwell out of his stroller and sat in the grass with my brother in my lap. "Why?" I asked quietly. "Because i stole vodka from the basement and drank it. The whole thing. That would have been the burning in your stomach. And the fresh cuts on my arms and stomach, that would have been the blinding pain. And then i forced myself to throw up the vodka." She explained. Unable to meet my eyes. "Oh, Thea! I'm so sorry. Please don't take this as if i were angry with you but i need you to promise to never do that again. I worry about you, doll." I said quietly, tears in my eyes as i bounced my baby brother on my knee. "I know you do. And i won't. I'll throw away my blades as soon as i can. And i won't steal any more alcohol." Thea promised, nodding slowly and sniffling a little. Before i could say anything, Orwell let out a joyous squeal and reached his stubby little arms towards Thea. She came down off the bench and sat in front of me. I carefully let go of Orwell thinking she would take him but he had different ideas. My baby brother was starting to crawl! He crawled a few feet from my lap to my girlfriend's lap. I felt like a proud mother. Like this was our kid and we were raising him. My little brother was gonna have the best sister in law some day.