✅ Over Protected

23. Alice Takes Risks

This bonus chapter is dedicated to Ross, with many thanks for all your support!

I was sitting in my room, reading, when I heard Sarah's voice whining next door. I hesitated, and moved a little closer. I couldn't make out the details, but she didn't sound happy. I wondered if she had fallen asleep, and was as grumpy as ever when Mum had woken her from an unexpected nap. It was only a couple of hours after dinner, so there was still time for her to get her homework done if she was able to focus on it. But I was worried about her, so I closed the book and slid it into the bottom drawer of my desk, and tapped pause on my radio before scooting my chair over towards the wall so I could listen more closely. When I pressed my ear against the wall, I was sure I would be able to hear what they were saying, unless she spoke particularly softly; and I didn't think Mum would be whispering if Sarah wasn't in a mood to listen. Even an apology would need a firm voice if she wanted to be heard.

"I just nodded off!" Sarah was saying. "It's not a big deal, I can sort out–"

"Sarah!" Mum cut her off. "You peed on the floor. You promised me that this wasn't going to happen again, and you know what we agreed. Are you going to say that you changed your mind now?"

"I'll clean it up!" Sarah protested. "I just... I can't believe I fell asleep, I must have been pushing myself really hard. I didn't even feel sleepy until after dinner, and I never expected..."

"No more excuses. I'm sorry, but that's the third time now that you've wet yourself during the day, and one of those was at school. It's clear that you need to be in diapers at all times, and that's final. I'm not going to be cleaning up after you again. Now, lie down and we'll get you changed, and then you can try to catch up on that homework. And if you're feeling so lazy this evening, I'll sit here and watch you until it's done."

I realised that my heart was beating faster. Mum must have not realised that I could hear them. Sarah's music was usually a little louder than mine, so she wouldn't be able to hear that I had turned it off. I could still hear Sarah protesting, but I had a really clear image in my mind now of what was about to happen. And I knew that Mum hadn't listened to me at all; she was happy to punish Sarah for something she had caused, even after she knew that there was no underlying sense of rebellion that needed to be crushed.

As I went for the door, I hesitated just a second. Was this my rebellion? Teenagers had a load of hormones and stuff, I knew. They felt like they knew better, and tried to interfere with their parents' plans even if they didn't know what they were doing. Was Mum being perfectly reasonable, and I was just acting up like my sister had? Was I actually being irrational? I tried to look at my actions through that lens; overly emotional and fighting against someone who just wanted to help. But I couldn't see it, and I couldn't believe that Mum actually wanted to help Sarah now. I had to do this.

Thirty seconds later, I couldn't stop my heart racing as I sat down at my desk again. Those few seconds had seemed to take forever. But when I heard Sarah's bedroom door open, and the sound of the drawer in her dresser sliding open and closed again, I forced myself to calm down. Slow breathing; box breathing to cope with stressful situations was something else they had taught us in HSE classes.

I put my ear back against the wall, and listened in. It seemed like Sarah was playing along now; lying back on the bed so that Mum could put her in a diaper. I was still mad about that, but I didn't think that the consequences would be too bad tonight. And hopefully it wouldn't be long before Mum was able to be a little kinder.

"Okay, sweetie. Let's get you all clean."

"Okay, Mummy," Sarah answered. The first time I'd heard her say that, I'd thought it was cute. This time, it just made me angry. I was fighting against the urge to barge in there and tell her everything; but I knew that if I did that, she would never be able to forgive Mum. And I didn't want to break up our family if there was any other way. I made myself sit and listen, while I leafed through the book in front of me.