Chapter Text
Lex awoke to the sound of cries. As much as it bothered her, she knew that she had to check to see what the problem was. If she left her mother to deal with Hannah, she would be complaining about it for the rest of the day. The five-year-old girl put on her slippers and walked over to the crib and picked her sister up in her arms, rocking her back and forth.
“Why are you sad, Banana? Do you need a bottle?” Hannah continued to cry, and Lex quietly walked out of their small bedroom into the kitchen of the mobile home they lived in, holding the infant in her arms. She stood on the stepstool, found Hannah’s bottle, and carefully unscrewed the lid, filling it with water. She attempted to mix the powder in without making a mess, but her small body made it unsuccessful. She watched as the liquid dripped down the side of the counter, spilling down onto the floor. Lex set Hannah onto the clean floor and wiped up the puddle using paper towels. Soon after, her mother, Pamela, came storming in.
“Alexandra, what the hell are you doing?” she looked annoyed. Lex stood up, knowing she wasn’t happy. “Uh, s-sorry, mama, Hannah was crying, and I was trying to make her a b-bottle,” she stuttered. Pamela shifted to look at the water on the floor, along with the roll of paper towels. “It seems like you were making a mess.” Lex lowered her head in shame. “Sorry, I couldn’t quite reach, and I was holding her, and-” Pamela put a hand in front of her, silencing Lex. “Whatever, I don’t care, just clean this up!” and she walked back into her room. “Yes, mom,” and she finished the job. She blinked back tears forming in her eyes, not wanting to give her mother another reason to get mad.
Lex tossed the used towel in the sink and went back to her room, slowly rocking an almost asleep Hannah.
“I know, she’s mean,” Lex lay in her beat-up mattress, “but I promise, I’m gonna protect you with my life.”
Even if she didn’t understand the weight of her situation, she meant every word she said.