How Syl managed to hang onto both the shopping bag and me, so that she could stay on, was truly amazing. Yes, I know that people have two arms, but a lot of people would have fallen off in such a position. But, as Brin said the first time we met, "…I'm not most people…"

God, could she have been more right?

Arriving at the apartment building, I noticed that Mom's motorcycle was sitting out by the curb. At first, a feeling of pure exhilaration spread over me, thinking that everything was perfectly all right. Mom had just gone home after working with Original Cindy. No big deal.

But, I knew I was wrong when I remembered that Mom never parked her bike out in front of our apartment. I mean, never. Not even in California. The bike was usually taken inside so it didn't get stolen or put in an alley where gangs would be less likely to see it.

Obviously, either Mom had needed to get home quickly for some unexplained reason, or this wasn't Mom.

Syl, noticing my confusion, asked if I was ok.

I nodded blankly, trying to wipe away the doubt that clouded my mind. "Yeah…I'm fine," I mumbled.

"You sure?"

"Let's just get up to the apartment," I told her.

Agreeing with me, she pulled the shopping bag off my motorcycle's seat and clutched it tightly in her right hand. She stared up at the massive building and sighed. I could swear she was muttering some kind of prayer to a blue lady to help Mom. But, I couldn't be completely sure.

The door to our apartment was slightly ajar, opened a crack to expose the innards of our room. I pushed the door open with my hip and entered. Syl followed, not far behind.

I set my keys down on the kitchen counter and paused, listening for any disturbances. The flowers that Logan had sent were still in their original spot, but I noticed that the card was on the countertop, its envelope ripped open as though the person had been in a frenzy.

Mom had indeed come this way.

Syl put the shopping bag down on the couch gently, as though she didn't want the paper to make any noise that would disturb the stark silence. She raised her hand to her hat, as if to remove it, but stopped and lowered her hand back down to her side.

Quickly, I checked Mom's bedroom that she shared with Original Cindy. The bed was made perfectly-not a wrinkle in the entire blanket. If she hadn't been unable to overcome her heat urges, at least she had done it here.

I exited her room, passed by a nervous looking Syl, and entered Dad's room, once Mom's. Nothing was out of the norm there. I was almost a little irritated that something wasn't wrong. For, if something had been wrong, then I could've at least began to attempt and fix it.

That's when I heard it.

Dashing over to the bathroom, I pressed my ear against the door and heard the low crying.

Mom!

The door wasn't locked, so I gently pulled it open, unsure of what I would find. Syl came up from behind me and rested a supporting hand on my shoulder.

Mom was sitting on the toilet, with her knees pulled tightly up to her chest. Her head was resting in her arms as her entire body shook with sobs. With her wet hair, I could see that she had just gotten out of the shower. Also, the steam in the room and the dripping showerhead, made that a definite.

The room was eerie feeling. A single bare bulb hung in the center and made such stark shadows that it reminded me of a horror movie. Steam from the shower curled up and around, like claws of the monsters in the movie.

I stepped forward, feeling such a strong compassion for Mom that tears formed in the corners of my eyes.

"Mom?" I whispered, my voice choked.

She looked up slowly, her eyes red and bloodshot from crying. "Oh God…Alanza." With her right hand forming a tight fist, she wiped away the tears and began to turn away from me like a stubborn child.

I knelt down beside her, assuming the motherly role instead of her this time. Still in my street clothes, I felt strangely out of place in the bathroom.

"God, Alanza, you shouldn't see me like this…" she began, trying to push me away.

"No, no, don't worry about it. It happens to the best of us," I told her. "It" of course, being going into heat.

Syl stepped forward. "Max?" she asked as I turned around to see her.

"Who are…"

Syl removed her hat and for the first time I saw the scars. The scars of the fire. They were twisted, pulling at her eye as if ready to bring it down into her skull. Pink and jagged, they extended from her balding hairline to the end of her nose. The eye itself was partially white and little bit of blue showed through it. No wonder she was blind in that eye.

Mom rose to her feet, gently pushing past me. "Syl. You came," she stated and rushed to the other woman.

Opening her arms to Mom, Syl smiled as they embraced for the first time in eighteen years. "Do you really think I could stay away much longer?"