Maura feels herself being nudged awake. She opens her eyes, and realizes that she's fallen asleep on the couch. Angela stands in front of her.
"You should go to bed. You have to go to work tomorrow."
"What time is it?"
Angela laughs, checking her watch, "Nine thirty."
"I fell asleep, at nine thirty?"
"You were asleep an hour ago, but I didn't want to wake you."
"You should have."
"Oh, Allison wanted me to tell you, that she left."
"She left? Without saying goodbye?"
"She said that she would be back."
"When?"
"She didn't leave town, she just went to the movies. She should be back soon."
"Oh."
"So, what's the story on the very handsome, young man that she was with?"
"He is her best friend.""The way he looked at her..."
"He just proposed to her."
"All of that excitement, and you fell asleep, on the couch?"
"I'm a terrible mother, it's just another thing to add to the list."
Angela shakes her head, Maura sits up. Angela takes a seat, next to her.
"You are not a terrible mother."
"You, and Jane, are the only people who know about her, aside from my own parents."
"I thought that you told her father."
"Oh, and Nate."
"Nate?"
"The young man, who just proposed marriage, to my daughter," Maura clarifies.
"Oh," Angela nods.
"Six people, know that she is my daughter. What kind of mother, am I, to have a twenty-one year old daughter, who only six people, know exists?"
"An over-protective one."
"Not a very good one. I have never been a very good mother."
"Maura, you were sixteen years old, when she was born. You made decisions, that no sixteen year old, should ever have to make. You did the best you could, with the resources that you had."
"I made the wrong choices."
"No, you didn't. She's an amazing young woman."
"I had nothing to do with that."
"Why don't you see it? You had everything to do with it. You were her only role model."
"I was emotionally distant, and unavailable, when she needed me."
"I don't believe that."
"Why not?"
"I have only ever, seen you openly emotional, with her."
"I..."
"Maura, I have daughter, of my own. A strong-willed, stubborn daughter. We fight most of the time, but it is not a connection that can be mimicked. You have that connection with Allison. She listens to you, even if she acts as if she doesn't hear you."
"I should have done more."
"You have the rest of her life, to do more."
"But, I can't make up, for all of the times, that I wasn't there for her."
"As a parent, you cannot be there for your child, twenty-four hours a day. You do your best, and that, is all you can do. Even the best parent, has regrets. We all, wish that we could go back, and change some things, or we could have done something better, when it comes to our children?"
"Even you?"
"Yes, even me."
"You are the most amazing mother, I have ever met."
"Have you met my daughter?"
"Yes."
"I made so many mistakes with her. My first child. My daughter. She tested me, and sometimes, I didn't pass."
"What do you mean?"
"When she was thirteen, she was asked to a sweetheart dance. Jane, was never interested, in those sorts of things."
"But she wanted to go?"
"She got asked by a cute boy."
"What happened?"
"We went dress shopping. She picked out this gorgeous, pink dress. I was amazed. She never liked pink, or dresses. I was shocked at her choice. She really wanted the dress."
"It wasn't age appropriate?"
"It was."
"You didn't get the dress?"
"I told her that it was too expensive. I couldn't stomach spending that much money, on a dress, that she was only going to wear once. She ended up, no going to the dance. She didn't talk to me, for quite some time."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You don't have to give your child everything, that they want, all of the time. They might be mad at you, for a while, but they'll get over it. They will still love you."
"I'm afraid that I can't fix it."
"Why not?"
"I am afraid that I don't have enough time."
"Maura, she's not going anywhere."
"She's sick."
"Maura, sometimes you have to turn the doctor portion of your brain off."
"What do you mean?"
"You have to think with your mom brain, sometimes."
"What?"
"You convince yourself, that the impossible will happen."
"Oh."
"Sometimes, all the science in the world, won't do you any good."
"I..."
Angela cuts her off, "You have to have faith."
"I don't believe, the same things that you do."
"That's ok. You just have to believe, that you don't have all the answers."
"I don't."
"And, that sometimes, miracles do happen. Sometimes you just have to have faith, that things will work out; not the way you want them to; not the way you plan for them to; but the way that they are supposed to."