Day After Day

Five Times Richelle Doesn't Want To Go Home and the One Time She Doesn't Have To

AN: I really wanted to write a little bit of a larger backstory as to how and why Richelle lives with Natalie so you get a cute (and angsty) little 5+1 and an entire chapter from Natalie's POV. CW: implied/mentioned ableism, internalized ableism.

1. (2005)

Her little sister is five years old the first time she says she wants to live with her. They brush her off at first, what little kid doesn't wish they didn't live at home at one time or another. But then she has a meltdown at the prospect of leaving.

"Hey Kiddo," Natalie pulls her sister into her lap. "Can you breathe with me?"

"I don't—I don't want to—I don't want to go home," Richelle says through sobs. "I want to stay with you."

Natalie looks over at their parents because she has no idea what to do. Apparently they think she wants physical help because her dad starts to make his way towards them, probably to grab Richelle from her lap so she shakes her head and holds her sister tighter. She doesn't know how to help her sister at the moment, but she knows dragging her out of her apartment kicking and screaming will definitely be the wrong move. She continues taking exaggerated breaths, hoping Richelle will copy her and start to calm down. It takes a couple minutes but Richelle's breathing finally evens out a little, and even though Natalie can tell she's still crying at least she's not gasping for air anymore.

"Why don't you want to go home?" Maybe it's the wrong question to ask with their parents standing right there but she's not really sure what she's supposed to be doing.

Richelle buries her face further into her chest, "'Cause you aren't there."

When she moved out a few months ago she wasn't thinking about the effect it would have on her little sister, the little sister that was always in her lap or somehow in her vicinity. If Richelle didn't have school the next day she'd offer to let her spend the night, but as it stands she doesn't know how to convince her to go home with their parents.

"How about I pick you up after dance on Friday?" Natalie chances a glance at their parents, hoping they'll go along with this. "Maybe we can have a sleepover."

Richelle looks up at her, cheeks tear stained, and her eyes red, but she's no longer crying. "Really?"

It's not a tactic that's going to work forever, but if promising her sister that she can spend more time with her gets her to go home without her, it's okay for now.

2. (2008)

By the time Richelle is eight she's spending the night at least once a month at Natalie's apartment, always on a Friday night because Sunday morning is for church. And after some non-stop chatter about her friend Noah from dance Natalie organized a mini movie night for them in her apartment. Apparently they've known each other for quite a few years but when Richelle brings over a weighted stuffed leopard he gave her, ("It's a snow leopard Natty," Richelle corrects every time she calls it a leopard) she knows Noah must be one of her best friends. Natalie has her suspicions as to why exactly it is that Richelle needs a weighted stuffed animal in the first place (and why she's so obsessed with dance and leopards), but she's not going to step on her parents toes and suggest it.

Even though Natalie organized the movie night for Richelle and Noah she can't say no when her little sister drags her over to the couch and demands that she join them. Even as young as her sister is already extremely aware of how she acts in front of other people. So it's another check in Noah's favor that Richelle feels comfortable enough around him that she doesn't hesitate to crawl into her sister's lap. Richelle doesn't have a lot of friends, there's a couple other kids from dance that Richelle would probably say she's friends with if Natalie asked, but Noah's the only one she's met.