you make me sick (for being so perfect)

Sixty.

Some of you might want to skip this one. Trigger warnings for neglect and child abuse.

-

"Lauren, honey, your papi and I are going away for a few days," Lauren hears her mom's voice and glances in the general direction, not sure what her mom means. Why are they going away? "We'll be back home on Sunday night, okay?"

"Mami," Lauren mumbles, not sure how to get the words out. She really tries her hardest to talk, it's just confusing and the words all get jumbled up in her head, "no, mami."

Clara laughs a little, and Lauren toddles over to her mother, watching with fascination as her mom packs up a backpack with enough clothes for the weekend. "We're dropping you off at your aunt's for the weekend. She'll look after you and Chris and Taylor while your papi and I are celebrating our anniversary."

"No," Lauren shakes her head and stares up at her mom with wide eyes, because she really doesn't want to stay with her aunt for the weekend. Her aunt is scary and mean and she doesn't want to stay there. "No, mami. No 'tay."

Clara smiles at her. "I know you'll miss me and your papi a lot, but you can't stay here by yourself. Who'd do all the cooking?"

Lauren stares up at her. "'buela!"

"Your abuela's busy this weekend," Clara says, zipping up the backpack, "but your aunt offered, so you can stay with her. She has two guest rooms, so you and Chris will have a room each, and baby Tay will go in with her."

"No," Lauren whines and rocks herself on her heels, "want 'buela."

"Lauren," Clara lets out an exasperated sigh, "don't ruin mine and your father's weekend. Don't be whiney about this. You're staying at your aunt's for the next few days and that's final."

Lauren tugs at her shirt, because she's frustrated and feels really closed in, and she decides that she's mad at her mom, so she's not going to talk to her for the rest of the night. Maybe that way, she won't leave her with her aunt, because her aunt is scary.

Lauren wails when her mom picks her up, because she absolutely hates it when she does that, but she always does it anyway. She doesn't like being grabbed, so she wriggles to get away, and when she's finally free, toddles back into her room and gets her Nala, cuddling up to her.

"Lauren, don't be difficult," Clara sighs, "we need to set off."

"No," Lauren shakes her head, because she wants to stay with her abuela. Not her aunt. Her aunt is scary. "No."

Clara huffs and pulls Nala from her arms, and Lauren whimpers, because she needs her Nala. Nala makes her feel safe. "Come on, we're going. You'll get Nala back if you get in the car without a fuss."

Lauren jumps up, because she wants her Nala back, and follows Clara into the hallway. She lets her mom put her shoes on her, and follows her out to the car, letting her strap her in. She's quiet on the way to her aunt's, and her mom lets her have Nala to cuddle, and she really hopes that her parents will change their minds before leaving her.

When they get to her aunt's house, Lauren notices that she stares at her funny, but she doesn't know what it means. She forgets about it when her mom shows her to the guest room as her dad goes into her aunt's room to get Taylor's travel cot set up, and it has a huge bed that's almost the same size as her parents'.

She really doesn't want to stay here, but that bed looks really comfy.

"I want you to be good for your aunt, Lauren," Clara tells her, "no being fussy. If she tells you to do something, no fussing. I've told her about a few of your... quirks, but I don't want you causing any unnecessary trouble. Okay?"