*TW for well, angst and implied suicide. The fluff is there, just hidden deeply under all the angst.*
POV: 3rd Person, Aurora Fraoch
(The day before her death)
Aurora let her red hair flow freely down her back, reaching her waist in its waves. There was no real reason to put it up, and she knew her precious little brother liked seeing it move in the wind. Today was supposed to be windy, she’d promised the little one a day in the park.
--
They rarely go to the park nowadays. She didn’t have time usually, despite how much she wished she did. But it costs money to feed people, and even more to feed three. Her mother wasn’t really working, and money she did get was going to things Aurora would rather not know about. So Aurora, at the ripe age of 10, had started working at some dingy old diner as a waitress. The town was small enough that nobody really noticed or cared how young she was. Their mother was known to be irresponsible, and Aurora was mature. So it didn’t matter, and for the past 2 years she’d been working there.
--
Either way… She had to go wake up Gwyar now, get him out of the house and to the park. Last day for it, she supposed. After all, two people were easier to feed than three. It didn’t take a genius to know that. And she was the older sister, so it was her responsibility to ease the load as much as possible. Her precious, innocent bean would be okay. He’d have to be. Aurora was easy to move on from.
--
She didn’t have a note, there was nothing she could really say. She did have a list though, of price comparisons addressed to her mother. Aurora hoped her mother understood the implication.
--
Leaving the bathroom and heading back to the shared room between the two siblings, she found Gwyar still asleep in bed despite it being almost noon. She’d never complained about how much he slept, why would she? Little kids needed sleep, and she wasn’t going to deprive him of it. Not when sleep was one of the only things she looked forward to nowadays…
--
Aurora woke him up, all smiles and gentle tones. “Wake up, my little warrior. Time to go to the park.”
--
Little warrior had been one of the first nicknames, based on the meanings of her little brother’s name. Her family had always loved names that symbolize hope and war. Two things that according to her father, while he’d still been in the picture, were intertwined. She believed that now, because Aurora saw a war going on in the household. And the only hope she ever saw was in her little warrior. Which seemed fitting, though also not. Because her name was the one for hope, and his were the one for war. She didn’t really think she was befitting for hope.
--
Either way, Gwyar groaned something about getting up and she let out a chuckle. If only so he wouldn’t get worried about her. “Oh come on, you wanna play right? I have too much work to do tomorrow to take you, so it has to be today. And it’s already noon! So get up!”
--
Aurora playfully pulled his arms so that he was sitting up, and he huffed but got up after that. She could see the smile on his face though. Aurora left the room to let him change, going to the small drawer in the hallway and finding the list she’d made for their mom. As soon as they got back, she’d make her move. Her final move. If her mother didn’t learn after that, well… There wasn’t really anything she could do.
--
She put it on the fridge in the kitchen using one of the magnets just as she heard the shared bedroom door opening and closing. Time to go then.
--
She walked over, took her little warrior’s hand, led him out of the quiet house… And prepared to let him enjoy this day as much as possible, prepared herself to be ready when she got home, and hoped that this was for the best. By the time she was locking the front door behind them, she was certain it was. After all, two people are cheaper than three.
~~~
I did it. Enjoy the angst. It's messy since I'm still not exactly free from writer's block, but uh. Yeah, there it is.