The Sullivan Sisters

The Way Things Are

"Be careful."

"I got it," came Quinn's immediate response.

The girl wore a grin that seemed to grow by the second as she trapped her crutches beneath her arms and carefully propelled herself forward. Paloma wasn't far behind, her arms remained open to provide extra security despite Quinn refusing the aid on multiple occasions.

Even though it had already been a few days since the doctors gave her the okay to—occasionally—ditch her wheelchair, the girl's elation had yet to falter. Paloma was overjoyed that her sister was making some form of progress, even if it was just physical because the mobility alone seemed to lift the girl's spirit.

Nevertheless, Paloma still wasn't quite as appreciative as her sister of these new developments. She could barely get the girl to slow down and so far, as she feared, Quinn's growing independence didn't come without downsides.

She was soon becoming even more aware of her many limitations as if they weren't already abundantly apparent. As if that wasn't enough, the teenager was growing to hate Paloma's many attempts to help her adjust and now was no exception.

"I got it," Quinn huffed once more, this time through gritted teeth.

Paloma released a frustrated sigh before dropping her arms at her sides. Nowadays, always seemed to be a thick coat of tension between them. The woman hoped that once they both adjusted to their new way of life, Quinn's attitude would change for the better. Now, however, her optimism was dwindling down to nothing.

The distance between them was something Paloma failed to understand and it didn't take long for her to realize that her sister wasn't planning to shed any light on the situation any time soon. She shook her head in hopes to chase away her dreadful thoughts, a small smile claimed her lips as she steered the conversation in another direction.

"Is Charlie coming over?"

The chipper tone present in Paloma's voice nearly made Quinn vomit. The airy, lighthearted demeanor the woman adopted ever since the girl was injured never failed to coax a cringe out of her. It always reminded the youngest Sullivan of when they first came back into each other's lives. The fake smiles, the overcompensation—it was too much then and now was no different.

Instead of meeting her sister's query with a snide comment, she shook her head. "The diner gets pretty swamped on Saturdays. He can't get away."

Once Paloma's—increasingly intense—gaze grew to be too much, Quinn inched closer to her bedroom window where the sun's alluring rays shined through the wispy clouds. She enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her face. It always managed to bring out the color in her cheeks that accompanied the grin on her lips. Nevertheless, the feel of the sun was never the same now that she spent the majority of her time cooped up in her bedroom.

Not counting the trips to the recovery program, Quinn hadn't listened to the sound of nature's melodic tune as it whistled its way through the trees, nor had she enjoyed the Summer's warmth in what felt like an eternity.

Although the girl had gained more mobility in recent weeks, she only left the house when her sister dragged her out of the home. Against her will of course. And even though she desperately wanted to leave in hopes to chase away the stir crazy that gnawed at her each day, she had yet to gather the courage to do so.

As if Paloma sensed exactly what was going through her head, she stepped closer. "What do you say we go out for dinner tonight? You, me, and Ava," she elaborated. "How does that sound?"

"I think I'll pass."

"Come on," the woman coaxed with a gentle smile. "It'll be a hell of a lot better than being here." Despite her attempt, her contention was met with silence. It wasn't until she moved to tuck a piece of hair behind her sister's ear that she received a response of any kind.