“Oh, and, fuck, I hate to do this, but could you help Debs with her… I don’t know, she’s got some sort’a project for school, my hands are full…”

Fiona was your (incredibly stressed) best friend. Caring for her five siblings was tough, and so she often found herself relying on you — a South Sider just like her, only you were lucky enough to get out.

Fuck knows why you came back.

You had been for Fiona through everything life had thrown at her. You were there when her mother left, giving Fiona the job of raising her siblings as if they were her own kids. You were there whenever her dad went on another bender, as absolutely no one knew when, or if, he’d be back.

So when you told her you were leaving the South Side, she was crushed. Of course she was happy for you, but she was also so pissed off at you. Sure, it was selfish, but you were her only friend, her person— well, except for V, but she had her own family to worry about.

The two of you kept in contact — who would you be if you didn’t? — and when you came back to the South Side, she welcomed you into her dysfunctional family once again with open arms.

It seemed like nothing had changed. Monica hadn’t returned, and Frank was still Frank. The only thing that had changed was the fact that her siblings — the ones you helped raise when it got too much for Fiona — were getting older. Everything else seemed like it had been frozen in time.

“And, y’know, with Frank camped out in her room, it’s… Jesus, I don’t know what to do.”