"Bye Steven! Bye Pearl!" Connie waved with a big grin on her face before her form dissolved in a beam from the warp pad.

Steven waved back enthusiastically, Pearl following suit with a small, awkward wave.

Steven looked up at Pearl, his face taking on a serious note. "Pearl..?"

Pearl jumped slightly, her heart picking up at the sound of his voice. "Y-yes Steven?"

"Can I ask you something..?"

Pearl nodded slightly and gestured towards the ledge they had sat on together not too long ago. That was after Pearl had lashed out at him and Connie...hopefully this wouldn't be a repeat. They sat down, their feet hanging over the ledge.

"Did you...love my mom?"

Pearls heart skipped a beat. She could still play this off as nothing, right? "Of course, Steven! We all loved her very much! What makes you think otherwise?"

Steven frowned, shaking his head. "No, no... thats not what i..." he sighed, "did you...love her like dad did?"

Pearl pressed her lips together, racking her mind for a proper response. "I..." she drew in a deep breath before hanging her head low, her bangs covering her face. "I suppose everyone knew the whole time, didn't they? Even your mother knew..."

Steven stared for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Pearl looked up after a few moments, folding her hands on her knees and looking out i into the pink scenery... how ironic. "This is starting to become a habit every time im alone with you isn't it?" she laughed slightly, it was the type of laugh that said 'heads up, im about to start crying'.

"I just...I see so much of her in you.. and so much of greg... you- you really are made of love" she said, choking up slightly.

Steven looked up at her, his eyes wide and glittering.

"You're the epitome of what love and kindness should be, even more so than rose was... and I should be happy but it feels like a knife twisting in my gut... I was her liege! Her knight! I've been by her side longer than anyone else! So why-"

Steven hugged her close, burying his face into her side. This was his family, and no one in his family deserved to be so sad. He felt a warmth in his stomach when he spoke, his words not feeling like they were his, "She needed you Pearl. She needed you more than anyone. And I /still/ need you. /I/ need you." The warmth in his gut started to subside, he opened his eyes slightly, seeing a faint pink glow around the two of them.

It would be okay.