Disclaimer: The third and likely last installment- a sequel to Watch Over You and Watch Over Me (Chapters 15 19 respectively).

Zephyr sighed, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt and turning on the water as Zach set the dirty silverware in the sink. They had a dishwasher but Momma preferred for them to do everything by hand after home cooked meals. As much as she didn't like the chore it really didn't bother her too much; between recording sessions and meetings with record labels and bands and the like, Mom and Momma usually had to settle for leftovers or takeout. Only about once a week did they have the energy and time for cooking. And, really, the five of them didn't make too big of a mess, though sometimes Mom would invite a friend to join them. Not tonight, though, as they'd enjoyed the meal with just the five of them.

"Why do we always get stuck on dish duty?" Zise lightly complained after dropping off the rest of their glasses for her to wash, setting aside her scroll for the moment to grab a rag and dry whatever Zephyr handed her.

"Because Zach could hardly reach the counter until last year," she replied, patting her brother's head when he dropped off another load of silverware, smiling wide at a job well done. "The sooner we finish, the sooner you can get back to your game."

"C'mon, I do other things beside game."

"Like what?"

Her sister deliberately paused. "Breathing?"

The two of them laughed and set about their task, with one washing and the other drying, putting aside the finished pieces for Mom or Momma to store later. "How's your game going, anyway?"

Zise groaned, setting aside a freshly dried cup while her expression pinched due to frustration. "Not great, honestly. After my last base got destroyed, I tried doing a storyline quest I'm not high enough level to do, and then tried using some stuff to buff my stats, but that didn't work. Now, I'm completely stuck and addicted to alcohol and me-"

Crash!

Zephyr and her sister jumped, whirling around to see Mom standing in the entryway, bits of ceramic scattered across the floor. The broken plates didn't really catch her attention nearly as much as the look on Mom's face, wide blue eyes watching them. She looked... terrified, in a way Zephyr had never seen before, the faintest tremble in her shoulders.

"Snowdrift? Kids?" Momma appeared behind Mom, obviously worried. Lilac eyes bounced between the broken shards and the sisters. "Zeph? What happened?"

"I-I dunno, Mom just dropped the plates and-"

"It's my fault," Mom said, but her voice sounded... almost hollow and the shaking got worse. "Glynda, we- we need to call Glynda-"

"Snowdrift?" Momma got even more worried, wrapping her arms around Mom as the woman's legs gave out beneath her and she started crying- and Mom didn't cry. Not often, anyway, and the sisters exchanged distressing glances while Zach peeked into the kitchen. "Stay back, Zach; girls, be careful and get the broom, let's clean this up-"

"We need to get her help." Mom started shaking her head and pushing away from Momma, who seemed reluctant to let her go. "I did this, it's my fault, she needs help-"

"Winter, stop, I don't understand what you're saying, who-"

And in a voice that Zephyr could only describe as 'broken', Mom hung her head and spoke, absolutely refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "Zise's making my mistake."

Suddenly, Momma went from worried to a stone cold sort of silent, slowly turning her head. Momma didn't get mad often- at least, not at them, though she sometimes swore under her breath in traffic- but this went beyond 'mad'. Far beyond. Both sisters hunched their shoulders when lilac eyes fell on them with the force of a sledgehammer, though Momma's gaze seemed directed at only one of them. "Zise. Are you doing drugs? Of any sort?"

"No!" Her sister looked at her then, pleading and confused. "No, Momma, I swear, I-" Then, it clicked. "W-we were just talking about a game; you can do drugs in the game, like alcohol and stuff, but it's not real! I've never really done anything, honest!"

For a moment, Momma just stood there, trying to keep Mom from pulling away, and then she sighed. "All three of you, watch where you're stepping and go to the living room. Mom and I will be there in a minute." They hesitated, the sisters looking at each other briefly. "Now, girls."

"Yes, Momma." They both murmured, picking their way around the shards and following Zach into the living room. They could hear their parents talking in hushed voices but couldn't make out the words and it worried her more than words could say.

"I didn't mean to get us in trouble," Zise said, glancing at the doorway and hunching her shoulders as the three of them settled on the couch.

Zach immediately sat up a bit straighter, slightly alarmed. "Wait, we're in trouble?"

"I don't think we are in trouble," she replied, putting an arm around her brother to calm him down. "I think we just scared Mom, that's all."

"That's impossible."

"Yeah." Zach nodded. "Mom doesn't get scared."

"Yes, she does." Momma stepped into the room, arms crossing over her chest as she leaned back against the doorway, and watched as Mom shuffled in, sitting down in her chair... bonelessly. It unnerved Zephyr, because she'd never seen Mom act like this, like... like all the fight had fled from her. "And we need to have a serious talk."

"Momma, it's just a game-"

She held up a hand, bringing the objection to an end. "I understand you were talking about a game and we can talk about that later. Right now, Mom has something she wants to say."

Mom put her head in her hands, seeming to marshal her strength and straighten up, though some sort of deep hurt splayed across her expression and it almost made Zephyr tear up. She'd... never seen Mom like this or the hard jut to Momma's jaw. "Zephyr, Zise, Zach... there's something we've never told you about me, about who I was before any of you were born-"

"That was my idea." Momma chimed in, though she immediately fell silent again as they exchanged a look.

"Yes..." She sighed, heavily, and hung her head. "Kids, back then, I served in the military during the occupation of Silas." Her gaze moved to Zephyr and Zise. "You two have heard about that, right?" They both nodded; they'd known Mom served and the bare basics of the occupation itself, though not all the details- things they were assured they'd learn when older. Mom didn't like talking about it and even Momma seemed hesitant about revealing too much, as if something happened back then that they weren't supposed to know. "When I came back... I wasn't a very good person."

"Winter." Momma's lips turned down in a frown, a clear warning in her tone. It was the same tone of voice she used whenever chiding them about something, though she couldn't figure out what she might be getting onto Mom about.

"Let me tell them in my own words. As far as I'm concerned, it's the truth." Mom winced, running a hand through the bangs that always fell across her right eye. She looked… well, a bit more steady, but still upset, summoning her strength to keep her voice even. "I wasn't a very good person or partner. I made mistakes." Then, her gaze refocused on the three of them on the couch. "Of those mistakes, I started abusing addictive substances... like alcohol and heroine. And I treated your Momma horribly."

Zephyr could see the way Momma opened her mouth as if to object but refrained, though she didn't exactly seem happy about Mom's explanation.

"Eventually, it reached a point where your Momma had to leave me, because otherwise I wouldn't get the help I needed. It worked... but we didn't see each other until I was completely sober again, six months later." A shuddering breath. "And when you were born, Zephyr, I wasn't there for either of you and I swore I would never betray you or Momma like that again... but I broke that promise, too."

Momma raised a fist to her mouth, biting into her knuckles to prevent herself from objecting. That, at least, she recognized from those rare times when Momma was trying not to argue with someone while Mom stepped in and spoke calmly.

"You were five." She sniffled, wiping at her face- obviously trying to keep her voice steady despite the tears in her eyes. "Zach was just a baby, and the three of you stayed home with Momma while I went to an awards ceremony. It was just a- a silly formality thing. I thought I could handle it." A choked back sob. "But I was weak and I stumbled. I drank and..." Abruptly, she stood up, beginning to pace as she tried to continue. "I- I tried to leave. To stop, I left the ceremony but- I don't even know what I was thinking, but I was going back to the neighborhood that I..." Mom stopped, swallowing hard. "I was falling back into old habits. I... I broke my promise to stay clean." When she looked at the three of them, Zephyr could see the pain in Mom's expression. "I'm so sorry. I tried so hard but I failed all of you. I-"

"Snowdrift." This time, Momma's voice was soft, that same tone she used whenever one of them had gotten hurt doing something they weren't supposed to- that distinct mix of sympathy and chiding. "Go to your study. I'll be there soon. Okay?"

For a moment, Mom seemed like she might argue, but when it came to disagreements like this, she usually retreated to the room for a bit of space. Now seemed to be no different as she reluctantly nodded, turning as if to make for the front door instead before redirecting herself towards the hall leading to her study.

But she didn't make it out of the room before Zise launched off the couch, throwing her arms around Mom. "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean-"

"Hush, it's alright." Although it didn't seem to wipe away the pain and sorrow from before, Mom managed to smile- a small, fragile thing. "I'm just- I'm glad I misunderstood. That's all." She bent down, pressing a kiss to the top of Zise's head. "Listen to Momma. Understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Although a bit slow in doing so, her sister returned to the couch, the three of them waiting while Momma sat in the chair Mom had occupied before. Zephyr had so many questions- mostly about why Momma seemed so upset with Mom telling them the truth- but kept silent, convinced it would make sense in time. Their parents didn't keep secrets from them often but they always did so with good reason.

"Kids. Before I even get into... that, I need you to understand why this is the first time you're hearing about any of this." Momma pressed her lips into a thin line for a moment, obviously still trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to say. "Your Mom wanted to tell you about the mistakes she's made years ago, when you were old enough to understand, but I never wanted any of you to look at her and see an addict. To… see her for the mistakes she's made. That isn't who she is but that's all she sees when she thinks about herself." Her shoulders fell a little, glancing back towards the hallway. "She's hard on herself. I've forgiven her for her mistakes, because everyone makes them, and once she realized what she'd done, she made every effort to get better. It took awhile but she worked hard to stay clean and I couldn't be prouder of her for that. But she's never given herself that much leeway. To her, every mistake she's made is as terrible now as when she made them, even though she's never repeated them." Then Momma looked at her, a small, soft smile curling her lips. "Your Mom was still in rehab when you were born, Zephyr. And she apologized to you for that at every opportunity until I told her to stop."

Zach tilted his head and raised his hand. Not that he needed to, of course, but he always approached delicate situations with a bit more care than his sisters. "What's rehab?"

"When someone's addicted to something- like alcohol- they need help to break the habit. Rehabilitation facilities- rehab- exist for people like that- for people like Mom, who need help becoming healthy again." Momma paused. "You know those friends Mom brings around sometimes? The ones that have dinner with us?" All three of them nodded. "Those people are part of Mom's support group. Even after all these years, she still goes to prove her sobriety- that she's not using drugs or drinking alcohol, and she volunteers to help others overcome their addictions.That is who your Mom is. She's not an addict; she's a helper."

Zise's brow pinched. "But, she said-"

"I know what she said. She told me the same story that night when she came home." Momma's expression softened. "But I talked to other people- people who were there and saw things without knowing your Mom's past. Mom didn't mean to drink any alcohol; they were serving champagne and water in the same glasses- those tall, thin, fancy ones you've seen at Aunt Weiss' house? Well, hers had water in it, but when she set it down, someone put a champagne one next to hers. She accidentally grabbed the wrong one during a toast and took a sip, then immediately spat it out."

"Spat it out?" Zephyr couldn't help but be skeptical at that, purely because Mom had always been a bit strict about table manners and very explicitly told them that spitting out food or drink was rude.

"She absolutely did, at a fancy party and everything, the moment she realized that she'd grabbed the wrong glass. She never swallowed a drop." What little amusement lingered in her eyes dimmed. "She did immediately leave the party but... she never made it out of the parking lot. The people who were there said she got out of the doors, started pacing and freaking out in front of the building, then called a cab home. He- heck, I mean, even the cabbie admits she only gave one address, and that was ours." Momma sighed, leaning back into the chair and running a hand over her face. "But that's not how your Mom sees it. To her, she broke her promise, even unintentionally, and she spiraled to the worst case scenario because she was so upset by it. She never intended to do any of that, and accidents happen; I don't hold it against her. But she does." A shake of her head. "It took three hours of me begging for her to just- just give it some time, for her to stay, because she had every intention of coming home that night only long enough to pack a bag and leave."

Zephyr thought back, barely able to picture those fuzzy memories, but she thought she could recall one night in particular, hushed voices that steadily grew louder as her parents argued over something and struggled to keep from waking them. The next morning, everything seemed normal enough, though Mom didn't talk as much for a while, but she never thought anything of it.

"She was going to leave us?" She felt the genuine fear in Zach's voice down to her core, unable to imagine what the past ten years might've been like without Mom there with them.

"Only to protect you." Momma seemed at a loss for words then, blinking and wiping at her eyes. "I don't... it's not something I can understand but I get where she's coming from. Some part of Mom has always feared that she's failed each of you in some way, just by making those mistakes in the first place, and repeating them meant she wasn't fit to be your mother. She's always scared that she'll set a bad example for you."

Zise looked even guiltier than before as she hung her head, reaching up to scrub at the tears beginning to fall. "I didn't mean to make her think that."

"I know that. Deep down, she does, too. But this brought out an old fear Mom always had lurking and I knew it wouldn't make sense to you three without the full story."

Zephyr's brows pinched together as she mulled over the information. "So... Mom's been sober for fifteen years?"

"To me, yes." Momma frowned. "To her? No. And I don't think it's something we'll ever agree on, because we're both too damn stubborn."

"Language."

"You're right, Zach, sorry." She sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "Kids... I just want you to understand that your Mom's scared right now. She loves you three so much and she doesn't want to be the reason any of you get hurt. And addictions make you hurt, and hurt others." A pause. "I was there with her, though, through the bad times and her recovery, and I know she'd never go back to being that person. She just... doesn't believe that like I do, yet, so she might be a little... weird for the next few weeks. All I'm asking is that you cut her a little bit of slack. Give her time to trust herself again."

In the next moment, a question sprang to the tip of her tongue, but she bit down on it. In her heart, she knew the answer, and she didn't want anyone thinking she might not. That she doubted anything about her parents.

But Momma caught the look in her eyes. "What is it, Zeph?"

She swallowed. As much as she wondered- and felt she already knew the answer- she didn't want to upset Momma. Then again, hiding the question away might cause her to worry even more, so she offered in a soft voice. "Did Mom ever hurt you? Like..."

"She never hit me," Momma said, her eyes glazing over as she must've gone back to that time so far away. Zephyr expected that- between the two, Momma was more likely to throw a punch, and even then, she'd never raise a hand to them or Mom- and the pain it would bring, and wished she could hide her curiosity a bit better. "But it broke my heart watching her addiction get worse. It broke my heart fighting with her about her addictions and begging and pleading only for it all to fall on deaf ears. It broke my heart to leave." She took a shuddering breath. "And it would've broken my heart again if she'd ever fallen back into those old habits. I'm not going to defend her actions- she was wrong and we all know that- but I also realize she never stopped loving me. She just forgot how to show it for a while, and that hurt both of us. It hurt more than words could say, and finding out I was pregnant with you... it hurt thinking you might grow up like I did, never knowing one of your parents." She fell silent for a moment, eventually shaking her head. "Yes, Zephyr, she did hurt me, because that's what addictions do. They make you hurt the people you love. She made the choice to indulge but she also made the choice to get better, and she did it thinking she'd already lost any chance of me forgiving her."

Then, it was ZIse's turn to ask a question that maybe should've remained unspoken. "Why did you? Forgive her, I mean."

"Because I still loved her. And I could tell she still loved me. So, I gave her another chance when I didn't see any sign of the person she'd become. I didn't see the addict; I only saw my Snowdrift, and that's who she's been all these years." Momma shifted, clearing her throat. "When I told Mom I was pregnant, she said that we couldn't be a family if I didn't trust her and that whether or not I ever trusted her again was my decision. Well, I made it, and in all the time we've been together, I've never worried that she'd go back on her word. She doesn't trust herself like that but... she trusts me and she trusts all of you. Please, just... just remember that." Momma looked at Zise then. "Remember that her reaction wasn't to get upset with you but to get you help. Mom just wants what's best for you three and, right now, she's scared she isn't it."

Silence settled over the living room and Zephyr looked over at her siblings. Zise still looked guilty and Zach seemed confused more than anything. Frankly, she felt... conflicted. Some part of her wished they'd known sooner... but she probably wouldn't have the same grasp on the situation had she learned the details years earlier. Her brother certainly looked like he understood most of what was said but didn't understand why Mom or Momma would keep it from them.

"Kids..." Her brows pinched together as she looked away, rubbing at the back of her neck. "I want you to be honest with me. There's no wrong answer, okay?" They nodded. "Does this change the way you see Mom?"

"No!" They replied immediately, though Zephyr winced when she noticed the look in Momma's eyes that said she didn't quite believe them.

"I mean..." She trailed off, searching for the words. "Mom's still Mom. That hasn't changed. She just... worked harder to stay with us than we knew."

"Yeah. And... it makes sense now." Zise shrugged, suddenly very interested in her fingernails. "Mom always says that forgiving people is important but we shouldn't forgive people if they continue hurting us. It... makes sense. Why she says that last part so much."

Zach looked down and shrugged when Momma's gaze fell on him. "Mom's not gonna leave, right? She didn't do anything wrong, so she's staying?"

Momma heaved a sigh, passing a hand over her face and through her hair. "She's not leaving. Like I said, she might seem a little... distant over the next few weeks, but she loves us and she's going to stay with us." With that, she got to her feet, setting her hands on her hips. "Now, about this game, I want to be there the next time you play, Zise. I didn't know there was any sort of drug use or we probably wouldn't have gotten it for you, honestly, but since you already have it, we're going to sit down-"

"Actually?" Her sister winced, ducking her head slightly. "Can we just trade it in or throw it away or something? I don't wanna play if it's gonna upset Mom."

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Momma mulled it over. "You do understand it's just a game and real life drugs are bad for you, right?" Zise nodded. "Okay. Then, we'll figure out what to do about the game later. For the meantime, try not to talk about that part of it where Mom can hear, okay? Just- just for now." Almost immediately, she put a hand out, as if stopping the words in air. "I-I'm not saying you can't talk to Mom if you've got, like, real life questions or anything like that. I mean- Mom, she understands that stuff, and she'd do everything in her power to help. But it's a sensitive topic-"

"We understand, Momma," she said fairly confident her siblings wouldn't be tempted to do anything that might disappoint their parents, and certainly not now. "We'll be more careful in the future."

"Alright." Passing a hand over her face, Momma sighed, obviously drained from the experience thus far, and still with more to go. "Zeph, can you help me out and clean up the mess in the kitchen? I'll finish the dishes after I talk to Mom." She turned, as if to leave, but paused and turned back. "I hope you three understand- I didn't want to keep this a secret because I wanted to hide something from you. Mom's... she's made her mistakes but those are in her past, and she's done everything she can to be a good Mom since then. Right?" They nodded, enthusiastically- they loved their parents and Zise had a tendency to brag about them to anyone who would listen. Zephyr shared the sentiment, if not the inclination to mention it to others. "Yeah. She's been good to me, too. I just- I don't want to keep throwing it in her face. She's already dealt with so much and overcome all sorts of things. She should be allowed to move on, ya know?"

Zephyr shifted, tempted to withhold the question as Momma stepped through the doorway. But then, she asked anyway, opting to just get everything out in the open as much as possible. "Do you think she will?"

Momma stopped and looked back at her, a bit of sorrow in her eyes. "No. Because she still hasn't forgiven herself, even after all these years."

Then Momma continued on, likely to go talk to Mom and calm her down a bit more, leaving the three of them in the living room.

Slowly, she got off the couch and started towards the kitchen, carefully picking her way to the pantry, where they kept a broom and dustpan that would make the clean up a bit easier. All the while, she turned everything over in her head- not only finding out about the thing that quite nearly robbed her of even knowing Mom but also Mom's reaction to the whole situation. Momma obviously didn't want them talking about it too much, not to the point where it'd make Mom feel bad, but... she still had a lot of questions.

All of them centered around... why Mom couldn't forgive herself. She remembered- vividly, in some instances- the times she'd broken the rules or broken something, usually with Zise's help. Mom might chide them but she always forgave them after they apologized, even that time when Zise intentionally ruined her nice dress because she didn't want to go to some fancy lunch that Momma was required to attend. It just... seemed so weird that she wouldn't hold the same standard for herself- she apologized, she didn't do it again, she didn't mean it, shouldn't that be enough?

"You do the drying," Zise said as Zephyr dumped the majority of the shattered plate into the trashcan.

When she looked over, she found her siblings attending to the dishes. "Momma said she was going to do that."

"Momma needs to worry about Mom, not dishes," her sister replied and she rightly couldn't argue the point. Between the three of them, they had the kitchen back to normal in no time, and all the dishes put away save the broken plates.

Which left them little to do, aside from retreat to their rooms, and that would require walking past Mom's study.

"C'mon," she said, motioning for her siblings to follow. "We'll just be quiet."

The three of them crept down the hallway, heading towards their rooms, but ducked back around the corner when the door to Mom's study opened.

"Are you sure?" Momma's voice was soft, a bit of concern lingering.

"I am," Mom replied, and she didn't sound like before, but she still seemed sad. "I just... need to think."

"Alright. I love you, Snowdrift."

"I love you too, Sundrop." A sigh. "But right now..."

"I get it." The soft sound of a kiss. "Just remember, I'm right here for you."

They stayed pressed against the wall as Momma headed for the kitchen, so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice them, and then quickly scurried down the hallway to their rooms. Zephyr looked back after they'd passed the door to Mom's study, left slightly ajar, and stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed her brother about to enter.

"Zach!" She tried to keep her voice down but it didn't seem to catch his attention as he barreled into the room, prompting both sisters to follow. "Zach!"

Mom turned around- having been looking through the window- just in time for Zach to nearly tackle her, throwing his arms around her hips.

"Thanks, Mom," he said, not giving her much time to question their presence. "Thanks for staying and trying so hard. You really are the best, Mom."

Mom shoulders fell a little. "Zach..."

Seeing as she wasn't pushing him away, Zise quickly joined their brother, though her height allowed her to hug Mom a bit higher. "I'm sorry, Mom; I really didn't mean to upset you. Thank you understanding."

Seeing Mom's composure break down a little more- and in a good way, because her lips were curling into a smile despite the tears in her eyes- Zephyr joined her siblings, going to Zach's other side. "We love you Mom. You're our hero."

For a moment, all of them were still, and then Mom wrapped her arms around them as best she could, hugging them fiercely.

"I love all of you so much," she said, trying to hold back sobs. "I'm sorry-"

"It's okay, Mom." Zephyr hugged her a bit tighter. "We're just glad you're here now."

Then Zach started sniffling. "I don't wanna think about if you weren't here."

"Hush, now." Mom soothed him, her voice soft as tears trailed down her face. "I'm not going anywhere."

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked over and saw Momma leaning against the doorway, a small smile on her lips. But she still looked sad and Zephyr thought she knew why.

"Mom?" She waited until she had the woman's attention before continuing. "It's okay you were still in rehab when I was born. You didn't have to be- you could've not gone or stopped going- but you wanted to be with Momma and me, and I have Zise and Zach because of it. If you hadn't done that, we wouldn't be a family."

Mom blinked, trying and failing to stop her tears. "Zeph..."

"Mom?" Zise's voice held a tremble, though she managed to summon her strength as she continued. "Can you forgive me? I really didn't mean to hurt you."

"Of course." With a sigh, Mom caught Zise's eyes, offering a small, reassuring smile. "You weren't trying to hurt anyone; if anything, Momma and I should do a bit more research on the games you play. You've done everything you could to make amends. There's nothing to be upset about."

"Then why doesn't that apply to you, too?" Zephyr had to conceal a smile; their parents often joked that her sister should be a lawyer, with how often she found ways to win arguments. Thankfully, she'd chosen to ply that talent in a good way for once. "Momma told us everything and we forgive you. So, there's nothing to be upset about, right?"

"I-"

"You love us, right Mom?" Zach murmured. "Enough to listen to us, right?"

"Okay, that's enough, kids." Momma stepped into the study, hands out in a placating gesture. "You might have the best intentions but this is guilt tripping and we've told you that isn't something you should do."

"Yang..." Mom paused, looking down at all three of them for a moment before continuing. "I think a family trip for ice cream is in order."

Momma looked surprised, raising a brow. "Really?"

"Yes. Perhaps we can eat it in the park?"

That had all three of them perking up. They didn't often go to the park as a family anymore, and the way Mom looked over at her guitar case meant they might even get to hear their parents play. They spent most of their time songwriting nowadays, which meant them playing together remained a special occasion sort of thing. On top of that, ice cream during the colder seasons seemed more like a suggestion their other parent would make, seeing as Mom rather disliked cold things, ironically.

Momma laughed, setting her hands on her hips. "Well, guess that sounds like a good plan, and I'm outvoted anyway." She nodded her head. "Go get bundled up, kids."

As the three gave Mom one last squeeze before hurrying off, Zephyr allowed herself to come bring up the rear so she could hear the quiet exchange between her parents.

"Ice cream in the park, huh?"

"I think we all deserve a treat." Mom didn't sound as sad anymore, though her voice did tremble. "Our children are growing into beautiful people."

"I wonder where they get that from." As Zephyr slipped out of the room, she smiled, because she could tell by the sound of Momma's voice that she had a few thoughts on the answer to that.

Twenty minutes later, they were all dressed in winter coats and loading up into the family car, heading to an ice cream shop near the park. Both of their parents brought their guitars, and when they'd gotten their ice cream, they walked to the park's fountain and sat on the edge, listening to Mom and Momma play while they enjoyed their ice cream. For some reason, when the beginning flurries of a winter storm began drifting down, Mom laughed until she cried while Momma pulled her into a hug and shook her head, discouraging questions for the moment.

Zephyr felt certain there were more details they might or might not learn as they got older, and this happened to be one of them. So, rather than pressing, she finished off her ice cream and took Mom's guitar, playing a little bit to keep her siblings entertained until they all went back home, together.