Jesus Christ that’s fucking horrifying to survive. Not only did Marie lose her son, she’s also gonna be coming out of this with life disrupting facial disfigurements. Unless the bullet was the width of a thumbtack, there’s no way she’ll be able to navigate life without some kind of assistance.
If APS doesn’t get involved & have Marie placed in a residential facility, she’s going to last less than six months on the street with Tophia. And Tophia is acting like the very idea of her mother staying somewhere & receiving adequate care is heinously insensitive to suggest cos they’re “all they have” & clearly can’t stand to be apart from each other.
It’s time to cut the goddamn chord, Tophia. Yeah, you’re both traumatized & want to stick close to each other, but there are some extenuating circumstances as well that need to be addressed, like your mom’s well being & health, and that takes precedence over your toxic codependency. You can still support your mother getting the help she needs & be active in her life while taking a step back & focusing on your own individual needs.