A Life Lived Twice || Lip Gallagher

A Change is Gonna Come

Noreen's first step in her plan was to get to know her new parents, her new neighbor hood and make definite plans for her new future. Her first step came about when she started to clean the god aweful piss and cigarette smelling house from top to bottom. It was a horrible smell that wouldn't allow her to sleep peacefully at night. So she drag her little four old body around the house trying to find a place to start. The kitchen seemed the easiest as it was the most used room in the house and therefore semi cleaned.
It ended up taking three days before Noreen was completely satisfied with the kitchen being cleaned. She had bags filled with trash, old food from the refrigerator, and kitchen appliances that no longer worked. Not to mention all the old newspapers used as puppy pads. It had made her vomit quite a few times when she lifted them up only to find maggots underneath. The smell was horrendous. The extra days of cleaning was mainly took up by peeling the old ugly wall paper off the walls and trying to open the kitchen windows that for some reason we're nailed shut. It was alot of work for a four year old. The wall paper was once a headache inducing floral pattern but with years of cigarette smoke and grime built up it just looked like green blobs on a yellowish background. It was a nauseous combination. Especially with all the dark red paint on the doors and frames.
On her last day of cleaning the kitchen Noreen's father Wayne put in an appearance.
"What ya doing kid?" A tall wide should man said as he leaned against the entry way. Wayne had gotten a call from his mother Clara about Noreen tearing up her kitchen. Clara wouldn't shut up so he figured he would take a break from the business and find out what was going on. Especially since he hasn't been by since Noreen's accident. He was still tempted to kill Frank Gallagher.
"Cleaning. Everything smells bad." Noreen replied as she looked up at her new father.
"Why though? It will be a mess again before you know it." Wayne grunted out as he moved to get a beer from the fridge.
He was surprised at how empty and clean it looked. "You cleaned out the fridge too kid?"
"Yeah all the food was out of date. The only thing still good was the beer, the cheese and the Mayo. The rest needed to be thrown away." Noreen said as she picked up the hammer and handed to her father.
"I got most of the nails out of the windows but I can't get the rest. Help out?" She asked with an unreadable expression in her little face.
Wayne took a swig of beer and grabbed the hammer. The nails we're stuck in good but he applied more strength and they came loose. Wayne was surprised at the intelligence that his little girl was showing. The kid usually didn't do anything but play with her toys. She didn't talk too much either. The change was a little weird but then again considering who here parents are it wasn't  that surprising.
Wayne got the nails out and opened the windows for the first time in twenty something years. Just opening them made the kitchen seem cleaner somehow.
"So cleaning the kitchen because it smells? Does that mean your going to clean the whole house little bit." Wayne laughed as he grabbed his beer from the counter not actually believing she would.
"That's the plan. I was bored and I don't like my toys anymore so I thought I would do something nice for Nana. She has too much stuff and everything smells like piss and cigarettes." Noreen spoke as she started to scrape off little pieces of wallpaper that didn't come off easily with the rest.
Wayne watched his daughter in disbelief as she worked. He gained a thoughtful look. "If you don't like your toys I can get you different ones."
"No thank you but maybe some paint supplies for the kitchen. That would be fun and the kitchen needs it." Noreen looked over at her dad with pleading eyes.
She knew her body was only four but since she started cleaning the kitchen she wanted to finish it completely even if she grew tired easily. She hated leaving anything unfinished.
"You think you can paint it by yourself? You wouldn't be able to get any paint on the wood cabinets, the counters or the floor. Do you think you can handle it?" Wayne said doubtfully. How could a four year old paint a kitchen without fucking it up.
Noreen just stared at him. Emerald green eyes staring unnervingly into Emerald green eyes until, "I can do it daddy." Noreen's resolve was absolute.
'Fuck it.' Wayne thought. If she's anything like her mother than she can do it and if she messes up well it's not as if the house wasn't already fucked up to begin with.
"Alright what color were you thinking?" Wayne asked the little girl.
Noreen replied, "White mainly. There was some gold looking paint under the stairs in the basement. It will take some days to finish cause I'm small." She shrugged her little shoulders
"You think you could buy some ready to eat meals for Nana and me. That way Nana doesn't have to cook with all the paint fumes hanging around." Noreen asked with an expected look on her face.
Wayne huffed out a laugh and shook his head. Those weren't Flannigan smarts his little bit was showing. His girl definitely took after her mother.
"Okay fruit of my loins. It shall be done. I will have your supplies in an hour." Wayne chuckled as he walk away.