I step into the sitting room, a certain blue, pink, and white dove perched on my shoulder. A high school-aged girl is curled up on the couch under a blanket, her curly hair spilling out haphazardly over the edge of the seat. A similar dove is perched nearby on the arm of the couch, shifting back and forth as girl squirms uncomfortably.

Bloom (The Survivor): I don’t wanna be visible today.

Me (Mom): I’m only posting these scenes to Mastodon and my own website, you know. We’re not that visible.

Bloom: Still! Why can’t one of my sisters do it?

Me: They are doing it. They’re all doing it. You’re the only one who’s still asleep.

Bloom (annoyed): Blaaaaarg!

Bloom drags herself up to a sitting position, her blanket still wrapped around her. Bloom’s dove obediently hops up to the back of the couch beside her head, and I take a seat on Bloom’s other side. We both wait patiently for her to get up, but she doesn’t make any further effort to move.

Bloom (quietly): It’s scary out there.

Me (sympathetically): Yes it is.

Bloom: What if people use our visibility to hurt us?

Me: They might. But being visible anyways is something we decided on a long time ago.

Bloom: It’s harder now that there might be consequences to that visibility.

Me (resigned): I won’t deny that.

As I’m sitting with Bloom, Kay pops her head in the door, a familiar dove perched on her shoulder too.

Kay (The Friend): Is my sister up yet?

Mom: Nearly.

Bloom: How do you do it, Kay? How do you find the strength to keep going?

Kay steps fully into the room and settles into the couch beside her sister.

Kay: I don’t know, sis. Some days I don’t. It’s okay to be less than your best sometimes. You do what you can to take advantage of the good days.

Bloom (unconvinced): Yeah but… People are scary.

Mom: Who’s scary, Bloom?

Bloom (tearful): People! People who voted for the nightmare we’re living through now. People who dismiss the danger we’re in, even when we plead. People who’d happily throw us under the bus, hoping they get any tiny benefit out of it for themselves.

Kay (solemn): I won’t lie, that’s scary. And some days it’s overwhelming.

Bloom: It’s just like… That could be anyone. There are so many people out there, and it could be anyone.

Mom (gentle): It could be anyone, but we know it isn’t everyone. Besides, we don’t really have a choice except to keep going. But we have an advantage.

Bloom (crying): What’s that?

Mom: We’re a family. When one of us is down, there are others waiting to lift them back up. And even when we’re all down, we can still support each other.

Bloom: I guess.

Mom: That’s what it means to be a family. We’ll always be there for you.

Kay: We’re always here for you too, Mom. You just have to ask for help.

Mom (smiling): I know honey. I’m working on it.

Kay (happy): No rush, but you know.

Mom: So Bloom, do you think you’re ready to give the day a shot?

Bloom gets up off the couch and stands tall, letting the blanket slide off her shoulders. Bloom’s dove quickly hops up, taking her place on her shoulder. She gives her bird a couple of playful strokes and then turns to face her sister and I.

Bloom: Let’s do this.

Me: Atta girl.