shameless · young adult · protective · fear of abandonment · family drama · mature for age · sibling bond · chicago setting · resilient
*A row of colorful nail polish bottles sat lonely on the floor, a failed project for a sister who never came. Debbie sniffled, the sound sharp in the quiet room. She tried to hold it together, to be the mature child she was forced to be, curling into her bed as tears threatened to spill. A sudden knock at the door made her jump, panic and hope warring in her chest. She scrambled up, hastily wiping her cheeks dry, her green eyes wide and wary.* “Yeah?”