The weather was nice today, the sunshine brilliant.
7:40 AM.
Lip and the group arrived at the juvenile detention center parking lot.
Twenty minutes until eight. They weren't late.
Both Lip and Debbie breathed a sigh of relief.
"Debbie, be good in there..." With Fiona having quit on them, Lip—as the second oldest of the six Gallagher kids—subconsciously stepped into Fiona's shoes, adopting a parental tone as he lectured Debbie.
Debbie smiled. "It's not my first time. I have friends in there. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Anyway, behave yourself. Don't fight. Who knows, maybe in a while the place will get overcrowded, and you'll get an early release," Lip said with a smile.
The fact was, in a place like juvie, early release for overcrowding was a very normal occurrence.
After all, this was the South Side. The crop of juvenile delinquents here was never-ending, one batch after another. The detention center was basically operating at max capacity most of the time. Occasionally, if a new batch came in, there really wouldn't be room.
Debbie nodded.
Lip said a few more words.
Then, Ian and Carl both chatted with Debbie for a bit.
Done.
They hugged. Debbie waved goodbye, walked into the detention center, and returned to the life of a juvenile delinquent.
Lip and the others watched for a while until Debbie was completely out of sight. Only then did they withdraw their gazes, get back in the car, and start the return journey.
"Ian, how do we schedule the time? You take care of Liam today, or me?" Turning the car around, Lip lit a cigarette and asked without delay.
The two brothers started discussing it just like that. After talking for a good while, they settled on a schedule.
Subsequently.
Perhaps because of this situation, their relationship had become closer, and past conflicts were temporarily shelved. There were no awkward silences between the three brothers; they barely managed to regain a bit of their old dynamic and started chatting.
Lip spoke about his situation first.
Then Ian talked about returning to work at the grocery store.
Finally, Carl excitedly mentioned the progress at the shooting range.
The shooting range Dexter invested in was currently under construction in full swing. It was expected to officially open by autumn. Carl was looking forward to that day.
Amidst the trio's chat, time flew by.
Carl was the first to get out of the car outside the shooting range. He didn't look back, quickly entering work mode.
Shortly after, Ian got out at the grocery store with Liam, ducked inside, and started working.
Lip stopped by the grocery store to pick up some stock, then set off for the park.
The members of the Gallagher family seemed to have busied themselves in an orderly fashion.
---
The Gallagher House.
Having slept on the floor all night, Monica stretched and woke up. She looked at Frank, who reeked of alcohol and was still sawing logs. She didn't disturb him, getting up on her own and going upstairs to check on Fiona.
It didn't take long.
The fact that she and Frank were the only ones left in the house—and that even Liam was gone—was laid bare before Monica.
Monica was dumbfounded. Driven by confusion, she hurriedly shook Frank awake. "Frank! Frank! The kids are gone!"
Frank had drunk a lot last night, smoked weed, and done coke. He just woke up with a splitting headache. He stared blankly at Monica for a moment before realizing what she was saying. Impatiently, he shook his head. "Gone is gone. What's the big deal?"
Saying that, Frank shifted his body, trying to lie on the sofa.
Monica got anxious immediately. "Where did the kids go? Fiona was like that last night, and she's gone so early today. Maybe something happened..."
Frank lay on the sofa, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I know Fiona very well. After a night, no matter what she decided, Fiona is already fine."
"That daughter of yours is very strong. A little thing like last night won't knock her down."
Hearing Frank speak with such certainty, Monica couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. "Even so, it's so early. Why are they all gone? Where did they go..."
Snore, snore~~
Frank ignored her, falling fast asleep.
Monica watched him, truly out of options. After hesitating repeatedly, she finally closed her mouth, stopped nagging, and fell silent.
Silence reigned for a good while.
The kids were gone, and it looked like Frank would sleep until at least noon.
What to do?
Monica made a decision. She decided to tidy up this messy house properly. That way, when the kids came back, they would be a little happier.
Monica, whose mental state was currently quite normal, didn't just talk the talk. She nimbly rolled up her sleeves and got to work in the blink of an eye.
---
Frank was right.
Fiona was a very strong woman. It wasn't easy to knock her down.
Past 9:00 AM.
Fiona, with a face full of determination, strode along the sidewalk, her sharp gaze scanning for "Help Wanted" signs pasted on the windows of street-side shops... if there were any.
This version of Fiona looked great, doing well... if you ignored the emptiness inside, that was indeed the case.
Yes, after two hours or so, the resolve she felt when leaving the house in the morning had slowly weakened. By this moment, uncontrollably, Fiona felt very empty. She even felt like she was just a shell, with nothing left inside.
What to do next?
Fiona knew she wanted to live for herself, and she genuinely wanted to.
The problem was...
She didn't know how to live for herself.
Buy herself something nice? Eat something good? Get a beauty treatment?
What else?
Fiona was lost.
This situation is actually quite common, and mostly appears in women, especially those with children.
For these women, once they have children, it's as if the meaning of life is entirely placed on the children. They voluntarily and willingly bind their own value to the kids.
Later, if they lose the children... heh, these women become just like Fiona is now: lost, unable to find themselves, let alone a life.
It is a very tragic thing, but it is reality.
A long time passed.
Fiona still had no answer, and instinctively dared not think about it anymore. She shook her head violently, then subconsciously pulled out her phone and called Jimmy.
The call connected instantly.
"Do you have time?" Fiona asked directly.
"For you? Always," Jimmy said with a smile, dropping a cheesy line.
You can't deny, it worked.
The corners of Fiona's mouth hooked up in a faint smile. "Then come over. I'm on XX Street."
"On my way," Jimmy agreed crisply.
Fiona didn't say more. She hung up, feeling a little better.
The truth was, having grown up in an environment like the Gallagher house, Fiona couldn't handle loneliness. She always needed someone in her life—someone she could also control.
So, Debbie was right.
Fiona really needed a shrink.