Nightmares had plagued Wolfgang for as long as he could remember. When he was very young, his mother used to calm him down by singing to him. Still now, even as an adult, every time he woke drenched in sweat he swore he could hear her. Her voice would hum softly in the recesses of his mind, urging him back to sleep. In some ways, it was as if she never left.

If he hadn't connected with her in a while, she was bound to turn up soon after a nightmare. It was almost as if she knew that he needed her, even if he was far too proud to admit it.

It was on a Sunday afternoon that they finally connected again. It had been over six months since he'd last seen her and even that meeting had been cut short, nipped in the bud by the chaos that his cluster was experiencing.

Sunshine poured in through the open blinds in her hotel room. She sat upright in her bed, nose deep in a book. Wolfgang tried not to focus too hard on the cover, which pictured some bare-chested guy in a cowboy hat.

Before Wolfgang could knock on the open door, her eyes rose to meet his. She stowed the book by her side and gave him a smile. "Meine liebe."

He rested his forearm on the door frame and said, "Hey. Where are you?" Concern darkened his face when she gave the space next to her a pat.

She shook her head at his sudden worry. The corners of her mouth turned up as she said, "I'm safe. I just want to see my baby."

Sinking into the bed, still cautious, something happened he did not expect. His mother wrapped her arms around him, pulling his head to rest beneath her chin.

Mind struggling to remember the last time she held him, his muscles tightened. He must have been a young boy, maybe six or seven. The decades that separated him from this memory seemed endlessly vast; a chasm of ache and broken apologies. Her warm embrace was so familiar, like coming home after a long trip away. Even so, he fought the urge to relax completely.

"You seem more...calm since the last time we met," she said. "What happened?" Wolfgang tried to suppress the memory of marigold and dark hair but she sensed it anyway. She let out a small laugh. "A girl. I like her, she has a beautiful smile. So why do you look-"

Wolfgang's reply was curt, cutting her off. "I let her go." He knew his mother was a stronger sensate than he'd ever be, and hiding things from her had always been hard. Still, he'd rather Steiner rise from his grave and stab him than talk about Kala.

"And why would you do that?" His mother chastised. She slipped into his sub conscious again, looking for her answer. She found it with ease. "Ah...but she doesn't love him."

"I know." Wolfgang shifted his weight with unease, then again asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm close," she reassured him. "But they're still looking for me. You know I can't tell you."

His voice softened. "I know."

A long silence followed. Finally, voice gentle with pride, she said, "You're so strong." A hand caressed the back of his head. It took a lot of effort for him to not drift off. "All these years, you've done nothing but protect us." She paused. "Protect me."

Worry rushed back in and his eyes flew open, staring unfocused at her feet.

Where is she going with this?

"Lord knows you've made some hard choices. There were no easy answers but you always did what you had to. I'm so proud of you for that."

Wolfgang's heart battered his rib cage. Does she know?

He was certain she could feel him trembling and she held him tighter. Loving kisses met the crown of his head. "Wolfgang...what you've done doesn't scare me. You're my son and I'll always love you."

The image of him setting fire to that car rose up in his mind but it was a forced memory, like watching a movie. She was showing it to him. Relief grew thick in his throat and he bit his bottom lip. The harder he tried to hold back the welling in his eyes, the more violently he shook. His emotions were easy to mask, at least to others, but feeling hers as well was unbearable.

All hope was lost when he felt her chest dip sharply. Her voice broke through her tears and she whispered the two words he never thought he'd hear:

"Thank you."

He turned into his mother's neck, finally allowing her to hold him as he broke down and cried.

But give me a chance, I'm begging you
I just wanna take care, take care of you.
Tell Mama all about it.
Tell Mama what you need.
Tell Mama, and I'll make everything all right.

- The Civil Wars, Tell Mama