Before You Go | A Prequel

2.1 | The Visit

-"A SOCIAL WORKER? Oh my gosh..."

Nico nodded at the computer monitor slowly. His eyes were heavy with the dread which had kept him up all night.

"Yeah," he breathed, "and the police. They're coming back with the social worker. They said it was routine."

"Gosh... I mean–" Hazelle's yawn interrupted her response. Nico hadn't expected her to pick up. It was late— for her. Regular wakeup time for him. Six A.M in Maryland meant three A.M in California, but it was the weekend, and he'd lucked out by catching her just as she was coming in from a night out. She rubbed at her eye, further smudging the fading liner."—I mean... is it?"

"How should I know?" Nico whined, "I mean I don't... I've never had to...," He let out a sigh as he just shook his head. He didn't even know where he was going with the thought. The same way he didn't know what he was doing with his younger siblings, or how he was going to avoid the worst of worst case scenarios. He didn't even want to think of it.

A long groan escaped him as he put his head in his hands, elbows resting on the desk as his palms slid down his face hopelessly.

"Zee-zee, what am I gonna do?"

He hoped she had an answer. Something. Anything. What he really hoped was that she'd tell him not to worry about it, that she was getting on a plane immediately and coming home, and they were going to figure it out together. That she had his back, and everything was going to be okay.

But instead, after a long pause, she only asked, "How's Mama?"

Nico gave a grave look to the computer monitor. And after a few moments of buffering, he saw the understanding register on his sister's face as well.

"You've checked on her?" She asked.

Nico gritted his teeth at the question. It was a stupid question. "I check on her every day." He shrugged. It wasn't like he had a choice.

-"And?"

"And nothing? She's... she's the same as she always is." He took another beat before adding. "She's alive? If that's what you mean?"

-"She talks to you?"

Nico scoffed, "No." And thank fucking God for that. He blinked, shifting in the large leather seat before adding, "I... I usually check at night. Before I go to bed. She's usually out cold."

Usually.

-"Well... look, I know you don't want to, and I get it, trust me, I get it, you know I do,"

Nico huffed something of a bitter 'hmph' under his breath as he waited for her to continue. She was right, he knew that she got it. In fact, Hazelle was the only other one who got it when it came to Mama, and here she was leaving him to deal with the woman by himself. He knew why she stayed away. Heck, he wanted to do the same thing after the funeral. But, Cas and Claud, and Ellie and Gus— and Leena, they needed him, so he had to stay. He had to be there— for them. It hadn't been the same for Hazelle. She flew back to Berkeley the same night of the service. And he tried not to be too bitter about it. But couldn't she see that he needed someone too?

-"Nic-nic you gotta go talk to her. Get her out of bed, get her to get up. Tell her what's goin' on."

Tongue in cheek Nico frowned as he fiddled with his watch, "She's not gonna care."

-"Yes, she will. Look, I know it may sound lil' far fetched but I promise you she doesn't actually want all her kids going into Foster Care, yeah?"