Owen got home late that night, "Lyss? Alyssa?"

Alyssa ran from her room to see her uncle, "uncle Owen!"

"Hey kiddo," Owen said, "pizza is coming. You have Hawaiian. But who other than you and your mother think pineapple goes on pizza."

"Sweet and salty," Alyssa replied, "did you see mom? Is it her?"

"It's your mom kiddo," Owen assured, "do you want to go see her tomorrow?"

"How can I be sure," Alyssa asked.

"It's her," Owen said, "kiddo have I ever lied to you?"

"You said she was dead," Alyssa cried, "you said mommy was dead. That she would never come home."

"I never thought she would," Owen said, "and I never said your mom was dead. I told you Megan had been captured and after a time was presumed dead. They made an assumption. They had to assume because we didn't know. Lyss this is a miracle. She asked about you. The first thing she wanted to know was about you."

"I need proof this time," Alyssa said, "it took me years to accept that she was gone. That my mother left me. She left me!"

"I know," Owen soothed, "Alyssa I know and I know how much you've missed her."

"It's not true," Alyssa yelled, "it's a trick. Moms don't come back from the dead. Your lying to me."

"Alyssa I didn't want you to see her until I was sure," Owen said, "it's her. She made comments about things when we were kids. About you as a baby. Things only her and I would know about when we lived in Baltimore. Lyss I was testing her to see if it was really her and her memories."

"What about a dna test," Alyssa asked.

"We can do one," Owen said.

"I need proof," Alyssa insisted, "before I see her I need proof. We did a dna test with Derek."

"We did," Owen agreed.

Amelia let herself in.

"Hi Alyssa." Amelia greeted, "your moms home you okay?"

"I don't know," Alyssa admitted.

"Okay," Amelia said, "do you want to talk?"

"No," Alyssa said, "I don't believe it it's impossible."

"It's true," Amelia said.

"No this is a hallucination," Alyssa said, "I'm having a psychotic break or something. A stroke."

"I can promise you're not having a stroke," Amelia said.

"Brain tumour," Alyssa asked, "can I get a head CT?"

"Alyssa as a neurosurgeon I do not think there is anything wrong with you," Ameila said, "you appear to be sober, you're not showing any signs of any neurological deficits and I know you."

"But it's not possible," Alyssa argued, "people don't just come back from the dead."

"She was never dead," Owen said, "she was being held hostage but nothing was ever communicated about her she was never on a list of hostages and they had to follow protocol and declare her presumed dead."

"Who else that knew her has seen her," Alyssa asked, "I need unbiased sources."

"I met her," Amelia said, "I liked her. She was with it and asking about you the whole time."

"If she cared she wouldn't have gone over there in the first place," Alyssa snapped.

"Lyss we didn't have a choice," Owen said, "she enlisted to pay for school and med school a year before she got pregnant with you. You weren't even on her radar. Then she was told that she would have to do her service time once she finished medical school in an army hospital somewhere in America. That as a single mother it would be unlikely she would go overseas. Then 9/11 changed that and we didn't have a choice. Alyssa, she didn't want to go. She was very good at what she did and worked really hard because that's who Megan is but it wasn't her first choice. If she had been able to back out when you were born she would have, she tried to but she signed the contract."

"But," Alyssa started.

"It was not her choice,' Owen said, 'Derek was his choice. Derek Jarrett chose not to be in your life."

"Did he pay child support," Alyssa asked.

"No," Owen said, "your mom really needed it when you were little but I helped. We all lived together so that you could be well cared for. But when I found Derek when you were 15 he was clear he wouldn't and I didn't need it. I didn't need the money. I wanted him to acknowledge you."

"He still doesn't really," Alyssa said, "his brothers like me better. I like going to Uncle Dave and Uncle Don's."

"I know you go to Sunday dinner with them most weeks now," Owen said.

"Stop distracting me," Alyssa said, "mom can't exist it's an impostor."

"Alyssa I saw her tattoo," Owen said, "do you remember it?"

"It was a ladybug and the spots were my birthday," Alyssa said, "she got it so I could be with her when she went. I wasn't to tell grandma."

"Lyss it's there on her hip," Owen said, 'and grandma knows now."

"How bad is it," Alyssa asked.

"Medically it's bad," Owen said, "she's lost her abdominal wall. She needs months in the hospital and extensive surgeries. She has a colostomy and they used your valve on her. I told her."

"What did she say," Alyssa asked.

"She was proud," Owen said, "I showed her your instagram. It's what you post for people to see."

"Don't," Alyssa said, "I don't want you or grandma to talk about me until I know it's mom."

Owen nodded. They all sat in silence for a few minutes eating their pizza.

"I understand this is a lot of congantice dissonance," Amelia said, "that you have a lot of feelings. Why doesn't Owen go grab a shower and you and I can talk?"

"No thanks," Alyssa replied.

"Lyss is there some one you would like to talk to," Owen asked.

"Auntie Teddy," Alyssa said, "if mom was routed through Germany like you say she went through Auntie Teddy's hospital. Auntie Teddy would know if she's real."

"Have you called Teddy," Owen asked.

"Not yet," Alyssa said.

"I've talked to her," Amelia said, "she was certain it's your mom."

"I have to hear it from her," Alyssa replied.

"Alyssa can you tell me what you're feeling," Ameila asked.

"No," Alyssa said, 'because I don't know."

"Confusion," Amelia asked, "I know you mourned your mom, you went through all the stages of grief you still cry for her. Disappearing day was a couple months ago."

"It was," Amelia said, "your necklace."

"I only take it off if I have to," Alyssa said, "mom gave it to me before she left."

"It's a pretty locket," Amelia said.

"It's a ladybug and has her picture inside and one of the two of us," Alyssa said.

"Do you want someone to talk to," Amelia suggested, "a counsellor or psychiatrist? I know you've seen someone before."

"Both," Alyssa said, "I do but I've been seeing someone in Vancouver and I'm doing good with Barbara so I want to wait if I can."

"Does she do phone or virtual appointments," Amelia asked.

"She does phone," Alyssa said, "I have one on Tuesday."

"Okay," Amelia said, "what would help right now?"

"A drink," Alyssa said.

"I can't do that we don't have it in the house," Amelia said, "I've told Owen he can but he only buys it when he knows you're coming and will have one with him."

Evelyn got the text from Owen asking her to keep Alyssa's information to only what was public information, where she worked, what she did, that she liked to hike and travel. She quickly replied agreeing to but not understanding why Alyssa wanted her information kept private.

"Mom what's going on," Megan yawned.

"It's just Owen texting me," Evelyn said, "Alyssa made it home. She'll come when she's ready."

"Ready, I'm her mom," Megan said.

"We were told you were dead sweetheart," Evelyn replied, "Alyssa had a very hard time accepting that because we never had a body, we were never able to have a funeral she didn't have closure. She still wears that little ladybug locket all day everyday. She never takes it off unless she's forced to."

"What is she saying," Megan asked.

"She's asked for time and space to process," Evelyn said, "she was so young Megan. I helped where I could from the time she was a baby but she was always closer to Owen. He did a great job with her."

"Spoiled," Megan asked, "he used to spoil her. Toys, treats, outfits I couldn't afford."

"She had nice things and good quality things but not excessive," Evelyn said, "the summer he put in an above ground pool was probably the biggest and she has used it all sumer every summer since. It got the least use last summer because she was in Vancouver. But he uses it and Amelia brings her nieces and nephews over to use it. And you were in school trying to keep a roof over your heads, both of you fed, study and had her in daycare."

"She knew her bones before she knew her shapes," Megan smiled, "we had this little skelton, skelly and she could name the bones."

"She was a clever little one," Evelyn replied.

"Tell me more," Megan said.

"She's asked that Owen and I don't share any more until she's ready," Evelyn said, "I don't know why yet. She's holding out to talk to Teddy. She said she'll only talk to Auntie Teddy."

"Why," Megan asked.

"I don't know," Evelyn said, "Alyssa always has her reasons for doing things and does them in her time. She's like you that way sweetheart. She's a lot like you actually.'

Owen and Amelia sat on their bed talking.

'Lyss isn't okay," he said.

"We'll get her through and get a hold of Teddy," Amelia said, "we'll get her to talk to Teddy. She has a phone appointment with her counsellor on Tuesday. We can hold her together for three days."

"She won't see her mom," Owen said, "I taught her to look for proof."

"Then let her look," Amelia said, "it's easy. Do a DNA test."

"I'll get the samples tomorrow," Owen said, "getting Megan to consent might be hard but I'll work it out.''

"How are you," Amelia asked.

"I'm happy she's home," Owen said, "it's confusing and I'm worried about her and Lyss. But we'll get through it. I always do."