Family

This Trial

Warning: This has a possible trigger warning for drug use.

Heather was still stunned, to be honest. This was all she could think as she sat in the lobby of Clear Sky Recovery, waiting for her sister to show up.

Fiddling with her sleeve, Heather cast a look at the painting situated on the wall across from her. It looked genuine––not the kind one could find in a grocery store. It was a painting of a meadow, filled with lush green grass and pink flowers. If one looked a bit more closely––like Heather was doing––they would notice that some of the blades of grass were darker than the others. They would notice the doe curled up under one of the trees, deep in a peaceful sleep. They'd see that the clouds had shaped themselves into what looked like a coffee cup and a bunny.

There were initials at the bottom: "JM."

When Karen called Heather to inform her that Adara was now in rehab, Heather was in a state of shock. Karen had to repeat it a few times for the message to get through.

Her little sister was an addict. The kind of addict whose addiction became the top priority in their life.

Her little sister, who Heather so often pretended to hate, but secretly loved so much.

It was almost unbearable to even think about it.

Someone stepped into the lobby. Heather looked up, breath catching in her throat as she saw her sister for the first time in two months.

She saw what her mother meant when she said Adara's compulsive behavior lead to some rather negative effects. Adara looked exhausted, with faint purple shadows under her eyes, dirty blonde somehow looking limp and lifeless––despite having been put up into a neat ponytail. Adara's eyes were bloodshot, a heavy look settling in them as she met Heather's gaze. As if ashamed, her shoulders hunched even more than they had been previously. She turned to the nurse at her side.

"Do you mind if I have some time alone with my sister, or is that against the rules or something?"

The nurse told her it wasn't, which Heather found a bit surprising. Didn't part of the recovery process involve no direct contact with friends and family? Or did Heather read too many books and watch too much TV?

Maybe her parents simply set out to find a center that did allow visits. Heather's being here should have told her that.

They lead to Adara's room, which was...nice, if plain. The walls were painted a warm brown, likely mean to make the occupant feel relaxed and at ease. Much like in the lobby, there was a painting on the wall, this one of the Northern Lights with the initials "SM." There was a twin bed, no TV, and a couple of books on Adara's bedside table. Heather's throat tightened when she saw the picture next to those books: Heather and Adara, seventeen and fifteen respectively, their arms around each other as they grinned at the camera.

Adara gestured to the bed. Heather sat, staring at the walls, the door, the covered window––anything but Adara.

What was she supposed to say?

How about: "Adara, how did this happen?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Heather saw her sister wince, shoulders hunching.

"I..." Adara began, voice cracking. "I only meant to try it once. But then I just lost control and before I knew it, I was lying to Mom and Lucas, and..." She let the sentence trail off. Heather understood. There was nothing else to say.

With a sigh, Heather drew Adara to her side, squeezing her tightly. Adara, obviously overwhelmed, tucked her face into Heather's neck. Soft sobs began to shake her frame.

"We'll get through this," Heather said, rubbing her arm. Later, she would ask Adara about the excessive amounts of money she spent on her addiction. She would ask her how her college fund was faring and the family commitments she'd shirked to pursue her addiction.

But for now, what Adara needed was comfort.

"We will."

(Some) Characteristics of Addiction:

Loss of control

Compulsive behavior: persistent behavior that may not lead to any reward

Large amounts of money spent on addiction

Lying

Addiction becomes most important in an addict's life

Family obligations sacrificed to pursue one's addiction