"I missed you guys," Monica replied, sounding a little anxious.
That wasn't entirely a lie. Let's call it half-true.
She did miss Fiona and the kids, at least a little.
But mostly, she was just done playing around out there for the moment. Her bipolar cycle had shifted, she suddenly felt bored, and she wanted to come home.
The problem was...
Fiona, who was notoriously weak and foolish when it came to her mother, was instantly touched by those words.
It was an interesting dynamic.
Intellectually, Fiona knew better than to believe her.
But emotionally, Fiona desperately wanted to believe.
Heh. Family.
Fiona stared at Monica silently for a few seconds, then moved. She walked past her, heading straight for the living room.
"You sleep on the couch tonight. We'll talk in the morning," Fiona said without looking back as she entered the living room, then headed straight upstairs.
"Okay!" Monica replied cheerfully, not minding the couch one bit.
Fiona didn't waste any more words. She went upstairs to her room and collapsed onto her bed. Understandably, she couldn't sleep right away. Her emotions were a mess.
On one hand, Monica was her mother. No matter how much of a screw-up she was, she was still her mom. Now she was back. Even though she was destined to leave again eventually, she'd stay for at least a few days. For a few days, Fiona could have a mother.
On the other hand, Ian had bipolar disorder. And now, Monica—the OG bipolar patient—had shown up... Two manic-depressives under one roof? The situation was likely going to be a disaster!
Fiona worried, her mind churning.
After agonizing over it for a long time, an unrealistic thought suddenly surfaced.
Maybe Monica can help Ian?
Holding onto that positive thought, Fiona gradually relaxed and drifted off to sleep.
So you see.
Fiona was foolish. She hadn't even considered the worst-case scenario of Monica's return.
Time flew.
Night receded, dawn broke, and sunlight filtered down, ray by ray.
Gallagher House, First Floor.
Monica woke up early. Call it diligence, call it sucking up—whatever it was, she woke up and immediately dove into the kitchen, banging pots and pans as she whipped up breakfast.
Fiona woke up to the noise and came downstairs.
"You're up! Breakfast is almost ready. Help me get Debbie and Carl up, will you?" Monica said with a beaming smile, clearly in a fantastic mood.
Hearing this, a look of guilt instantly washed over Fiona's face. She looked at Monica, unable to speak.
Monica noticed Fiona's guilt and looked confused. "What's wrong?"
Fiona blinked, hesitated, but finally decided to come clean. She replied weakly, "Carl doesn't live here anymore. He's living with Peggy..."
"Huh? That old btch is out of prison?" Monica shrieked in disbelief before Fiona could even finish.
Hearing the term "old btch," Fiona couldn't help but crack a smile. She felt like she had found an ally and instantly felt closer to Monica. She nodded. "Yeah, she came back not too long ago. She's living with Carl three doors down to the left, at 2114."
"Fine!" Monica nodded immediately. "I'll go see Carl later. What about Debbie?"
A heavier wave of guilt hit Fiona instantly. All joy vanished. "Debbie got arrested. She's in juvie. She has to stay there for a year..."
"????" Monica froze. She finally understood the guilt on Fiona's face. "What happened? Debbie is such a good girl. How did she end up in juvie?"
"What about Lip, Ian, and Liam? Did something happen to them too?"
Fiona had always treated those kids as her life, her greatest responsibility.
Now, with the Gallagher family in shambles and Monica asking these questions...
The guilt on Fiona's face was overflowing. She lowered her head, afraid to look at Monica. "Lip broke his leg; he's upstairs. Ian... he seems to have bipolar disorder; he's upstairs too. Liam is fine..."
"Jesus!" Monica exclaimed in disbelief. "Fiona, how did the family end up like this? Something happened to all the kids..."
Fiona couldn't handle that kind of talk. She snapped instinctively. "I've been breaking my back taking care of them! What do you want me to do? You weren't here, and Frank never helps! I did my best..."
Fiona was practically screaming, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing this, Monica felt guilty too. She rushed forward and hugged Fiona, apologizing and comforting her repeatedly.
---
A few minutes later.
Fiona stopped crying.
Monica smiled. "Let's handle things one by one. Let's go see Ian first."
Looking at this seemingly stable Monica, Fiona let out a silent sigh of relief. Her worries diminished significantly. She nodded. "Okay."
Mother and daughter didn't waste any more time. They hustled upstairs and walked into the room where Ian was.
Entering the room, Monica glanced at Ian, Liam, and Lip. Without hesitation, she went straight to her favorite, Lip.
Lip was already awake. He stared at Monica with a grim expression, saying nothing.
Monica didn't like the silence. She launched into a cheerful, rambling monologue.
Lip got annoyed listening to it and interrupted her. "Monica, quit yapping. Go check on Ian."
Ian was awake too, but he remained silent, lying there motionless.
"Okay, going right now." Monica was happy Lip spoke to her. She responded decisively and moved to sit beside Ian. "Ian, Mom's back. Are you okay?"
Hearing her voice, and seeing Monica as a kindred spirit, Ian struggled, gritted his teeth, summoned his strength, and slowly turned his body to face her.
Seeing this.
Fiona and Lip both felt a flicker of joy.
After all, no matter what they had said or done before, Ian refused to react...
Monica smiled and gently touched Ian's face. "I made breakfast. Will you eat a little?"
"Don't want to..." Ian replied weakly.
"You need to eat to get your strength back..." Monica urged.
After saying that, Monica thought for a moment and turned to Fiona and Lip. "Fiona, why don't you guys go out for a bit? Let me have a good talk with Ian."
To Fiona and Lip, Ian's reaction had already proven Monica's capability in this area.
So, quickly, Fiona picked up Liam, and she and Lip left the room.
Only Monica and Ian remained in the room.
Monica waited for a moment, then got up and quietly cracked the door open to peek outside.
Confirming Fiona and the others weren't listening, Monica closed the door again and sat back down next to Ian.
"Ian, I know how you feel right now. Trust me, I really know."
"I also know that terrible feeling when you definitely don't have that bullshit bipolar disorder, but your family treats you like a mental patient."
"Ian, you have to try your best to cheer up. Eat a little, drink a little~~~"
"You'll be fine in no time."
"Because just like me, you don't have bipolar disorder at all!"