Avril had refused to believe that her mother was still alive. Once they'd received a letter claiming that she had been found, she had allowed herself to hope a little that they had only, truly, lost one parent. While they'd been under the belief that both had died, she was slightly relieved that it didn't appear to be the case.

Once they arrived at the local hospital, and asked which room their mother was in, it took everything in Avril to not run to the room that had been assigned to her mother. She had to remember to write Syb. She hadn't told her about the article, and she was sure Ace hadn't either. Neither wanted to give - or have - false hope.

What if it wasn't really her mother? She gave a mental shake of her head. They'd gone almost a year without a mother or father; if this wasn't the woman who raised them, she would know. She hoped.

When they got to the room, and Avril saw her mother, she couldn't stop herself. She ran over and gave her a hug, not even bothering to surpress her tears.

"I'm sorry, Mama." and she was. She was sorry that she'd been such a terrible daughter, and such a terrible older sister to Rose.