Red, Blue, Me, and You

Peaceful Mornings

I wake up with my head buried in Leah's neck. She's awake, softly running her hand through my hair. 
"Morning Lee," I smile as I look up at her.
"Morning Georgy," she grins back down at me, and kisses my nose. The sun is beginning to creep through the curtains, and I feel very peaceful. I've almost forgotten everything else that's going on in my life. Then I hear a crash in the hallway, and the yelp of a what only can be a younger brother. I know it's Jacob, but my heart still skips a beat as if it's Ben who's just fallen over. Leah jumps out of bed, and runs into the hallway. I follow her as far as the doorway to her room, and lean against it while she helps her thankfully okay brother back to his feet. 
"Never a peaceful moment around here," Leah says as she turns towards me.
"I understand that entirely."

We walk back into her room, and I find my school uniform in my bag.
"Just going to go get changed," I tell Leah as I head towards the bathroom. She's walking back into her room after checking her brother is completely fine. I get changed quickly, realise that I've forgotten my school socks, and head back to Leah's room. She's changed into her uniform also.
"Can I borrow some socks?" I ask.
"Haven't you got those horrible blue ones?" she asks in return.
I shake my head. "I have, but I have to wear black socks to school."
She walks over to her draws and chucks me a pair of black socks. I put them on, and get my hair brush out. "Can you brush my hair for me?" I ask.
"Okay," Leah nods, and I sit on the edge of her bed, and she sits cross legged behind me. 

"Okay, Georgia, you've got to tell me what happened yesterday," she says after a minute of silence. I've had enough time to think about what happened by now to be able to tell her.
"I think my Dad's cheating on my Mum," I reply. 
"Why's that?" she asks, as if what I've told her isn't something completely shocking. It's nice. If I had admitted this to either Hannah or Olivia they would have way over reacted. Leah's exactly as calm as I need her to be.
"Well, he's been coming home from work later and later, and they keep fighting every evening when he gets home, and yesterday when we were at my aunt's house he just walked out and left after a rather heated conversation," I explain, "that's why Liam dropped me off at your house. My mum decided her and Ben are staying at my aunt's place for the time being, and I don't actually know where my dad is. Liam went to our house over night, and he texted me that Dad's not there."
"I know what it's like to have fighting parents," Leah replies, "believe me, it gets better when they finally decide to leave each other."

I have had the idea in my mind that they'll probably end up leaving each other for months now. I've never heard someone say it out loud, but the way Leah says it doesn't cause me any pain at all. I don't like the way that our family doesn't function as a family at the moment, and I want Ben to grow up in a house with loving parents. If that means that Ben has two loving homes instead of one, that may be better than going to sleep to the sounds of shouting every night. I know it'd be better for me. My mum and dad separately are good people - even though I do disagree with some things my mum says, but what teenage girl doesn't have disagreements with their mum? - but together they aren't the best versions of themselves. I also know that if they do end up splitting up, Ben will take it very hard to start with. It'll take a long time for him to adjust, and Liam and I will end up being his main support people.

"I'm going to assume your parents aren't together then?" I ask. I realise that I've never actually wondered where Leah's Dad is. 
She shakes her head. "No. They decided to split when I was 12, but they lived together for a little longer after that. I didn't really think about it as being something that was hard at the time, but looking back it definitely did have an impact on my life."
"Were you able to look after your brother?" I ask the only question I need the answer to.
She doesn't need time to think about her answer. This must be something she thinks about a lot. "I was lucky enough that I didn't feel like it was my responsibility to look after him, but I think I definitely did to a degree. I had to grow up quickly, and I was the person he could go to who understood what it was like to be in the situation he was in. Also he was so young at the time. I still think of him as a baby now and he's 10. So, yes, I guess I was able to look after my brother. He's a pretty good kid. I wouldn't be who I am today without him. You worried about Benjamin?"
I nod.
"Don't be. You and Liam will be able to help him get through it, and hopefully it won't take too much of a toll on you. I think together you and Liam will be able to not feel like you have to raise him, and also be able to support him in a way a sibling should. It is going to be hard getting over the first hurdle of living with your parents until they officially decide to split though."