"Hey, Helen, I got a question. Why do you dress like you're Amish?"

That was what Kay asked me when we reunited in person at the Brandenham. It was the first time we'd met in several years since she'd been born. Part of me couldn't help but wonder why Kay and I were as different as night and day when I'd been her surrogate mother. I think she got her spunk and outlook on life from her father Byrne because she surely couldn't have gotten that from me. In some ways, she actually reminded me of Cole... minus the "being in love with a dog" part.

"That's just how I dress," I replied with a shrug.

"Is it like a uniform or something?" Kay ventured on.

"...in a manner of speaking."

"Ah, okay, I was wondering. It just seems so... old-fashioned, like out of an Agatha Christie novel or something."

We were silent for a little while. Really, there was so much else we could say to each other, but how and when could we do it? Where could we even start? I could've told her how I was waiting for Bitsy to die so I could get her money. I could've told her about that time Bitsy and I got high on those Canadian pills we took to treat our gout. I could've even told her that I was jealous of a dog; not just any dog, either, but Bitsy's dog. Then again, I might've just made all that sound worse than they really were. I've got a bad habit of doing that, it seems.

"So, Kay... anything you want to do while you're visiting New York?" I asked her.

Kay's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Ooh, I've always wanted to visit Central Park!"

I cringed inwardly. I didn't know how I was going to tell her that Bitsy wanted to go scorched earth on the place. I did, however, know that now wasn't a good time to bring that up. Not that Kay would've believed me anyhow; very few people thought Bitsy was serious about that.

"Sure, anywhere in particular you wanna go?" I asked again.

"I heard that there was a castle in there. I wanna visit that!"

"Well, someone lives there."

Kay tilted her head at me in intrigue. "Oh?"

"Yeah, a park ranger lives there with his wife and kids. His name's Owen Tillerman."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of him! He's the one who organized that 'I Heart the Park' event two months ago, right?"

"Yep, that was him."

Kay's eyes lit up again. "Cool! That just makes me want to visit that castle even more!"

Once my lunch break came, I took Kay to Central Park. We made sure to make a beeline for the castle where that pank ranger lived with his family.

"Alright, now what?" Kay asked me when we had arrived at our destination.

"Just act natural," I replied. "I'll take things from here."

I softly knocked on the door and waited a couple minutes.

"Who is it?" I heard a familiar voice asking from behind the door.

"It's me, Helen," I replied. "There's someone I want you to meet."

"Hold on a second." A few seconds passed by before Owen opened the door. "Okay, come on in."

We did as told and looked around for a bit. Same as it always as. I guess there isn't a whole lot you can do to refurbish when you live in a castle. Paige, Molly, and Cole were sitting down at the table, eating and having a conversation about... something. I didn't catch what it was they were talking about exactly, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out or else I'd get lost and confused.

"Hey, guys!" Kay called out to them.

All three of them turned to look at her with puzzled expressions.

"Uh... who are you?" Molly asked Kay.

Kay just beamed. "My name's Kay Faraday, and I work as an assistant for the world-renowned Miles Edgeworth! We do detective stuff. What's your name?"

"Oh, um, my name's Molly." Molly pointed to her mother and then her brother. "That's my mom, Paige Hunter. And this is my brother, Cole."

"Cole..." Kay's eyes darted over to where Cole's were. "Oh yeah, you're that weird kid who wanted Bitsy's dog all to himself, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged," Cole piped up.

I still had vivid memories of that day. At the time, I considered not saying anything and just letting that kid keep the dog so my plan to get Bitsy's money would go off without a hitch. Unfortunately for me, things didn't quite go as I'd planned. For one, Cole's family had an innateness for doing the right thing.

"Well, people across the Internet have been talking about you," Kay said. "Some are wondering if you're just really fond of the dog or something."

"Let me put it this way." I swear I could see stars forming in Cole's eyes when he started talking. "Shampagne and I are soulmates. We have that kind of bond that other people can only dream of. We're... just meant to be, you know? I can feel it in my bones."

Kay could only chuckle. "Wow, you really love that dog, huh?"

Cole smiled. "You know it."

"So... Kay, is it?" Paige began to speak. "What are you doing here in New York? And why are you hanging out with Helen?"

"Well, after Miles and I had solved our latest case, I decided to send Helen a quick text and ask if we could hang out for a bit," Kay started to explain. "It'd been a long time since we hung out. We haven't had this much time together since I was born, actually."

Paige raised an eyebrow at this. "Wait, how long have you actually known Helen, exactly?"

"As long as I've been alive. In fact, she's the one who carried me for my dad."

Paige just sat there for a while, not saying anything and staring at us, before she finally said, "Okay, I can see the resemblance now."

"Really?" Owen piped up. "Helen's never said anything about having kids, let alone being a surrogate for someone."

At that moment, I responded with a shrug. "Yeah, so? I don't owe anyone anything."

Owen just held his hands up. "Okay, fair enough. We just didn't know."

Kay then decided to ask him, "I've got a question about sewer gators. Are those a thing?"

"No, those are not a thing," Owen bluntly replied. "Sorry to have to disappoint you, but there's no such thing as sewer gators. Sewer gators aren't possible because alligators are adapted to live in freshwater habitats, such as swamps and rivers, not in sewage systems. The conditions in sewers, such as lack of sunlight, limited food sources, and low oxygen levels, are not suitable for gators to survive and thrive."

Kay looked down, dejected by what Owen just told her. "Oh... that's too bad. I've seen those in movies and TV, and I've thought about how awesome and terrifying- I guess, awe-ifying -it would be to encounter them."

"Again, sorry to have to disappoint you, but they're not real."

"That's okay. Man, you're really passionate about animals and stuff, huh?"

"One of the most passionate there is. I mean, you pretty much have to be to work at Central Park."

"Oh yeah, I can definitely vouch for that," Molly chimed in. "One time, our favorite TV show 'Gina Tracker: FBI' was filming right here in this park, and Dad kept pointing out inaccuracies that the director wanted to portray. Needless to say, Dad got fired as an extra."

"I would've loved to have been there," Kay replied.

Molly chuckled. "I'm sure you would've."

At that moment, Kay and I turned to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Paige called out to us. "Don't you want to tell us what Bitsy's been up to lately?"

"Not really," I bluntly replied. "Kay and I have a busy day ahead of us. Besides, what Bitsy does behind closed doors is her business."

With that, Kay and I left the Tillerman castle. While we left, I could've sworn I heard Paige muttering something about wanting to take Bitsy down once and for all.

"So where to next, Helen?" Kay asked me. "There's so much I want to do around here."

"Why don't we visit the aquarium?" I suggested. "You like aquariums, right?"

Kay nodded with a smile. "Dad took me to one for my fifth birthday. It was the most magical experience ever. I remember being completely captivated by the fish that swam right in front of my eyes." As she spoke, Kay's eyes lit up with excitement, and it seemed that she was reliving those cherished memories. "I can't wait to take my own kids to the aquarium someday. I want them to experience the same joy and amazement that I felt all those years ago. It's a tradition that I want to pass on, a tradition that brings families together and creates lasting memories."

My eyes widened, as I suddenly felt a certain sense of joy within me. "A tradition that you want to pass on?"

"Exactly. I mean, the great thing about the aquarium is that it's for all ages, not just kids. Anything in particular you wanna see there?"

I smiled and nodded. "I want to see the great white sharks."

"Ooh, really? What about them fascinates you?"

"I don't know. I guess it would be cool to swim with them. I'm not afraid of them. If anything, they should be afraid of me."

Kay looked at me skeptically. "You'd be fine swimming with the sharks?"

I laughed. "Yeah, of course, I know I'm not afraid of them. I just love seeing them in their habitat, and I wanna know what it's like to swim with them. If I do ever get the chance to swim with them, I know that I'll love it."

"So we'll go see them together?"

"Of course we will. Wouldn't be the first time you've seen them, and I'm sure it won't be the last."

Kay grinned. "Cool. Thanks, Helen, you're the best surrogate mom ever."

We managed to get to the aquarium on such short notice. While I just stared at the fish behind the glass, I couldn't help but reflect on where I was now at this point in my life. Things that I used to enjoy in my day-to-day life now were just keeping me employed as long as they possibly could. Then again, this job of catering to Bitsy's whims and needs was keeping me financially stable long enough that when it was finally time for her to die, I could just retire comfortably and never have to worry about having to do anything again... until I eventually got bored of it, that is. It's so weird that we could care so much about this stuff until we didn't, and then what? Just eke out the rest of our lives in utter boredom? That frankly didn't seem like any way to live. Ah, existential dread...

Suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" a feminine voice called out to me.

I quickly turned around to see an aquarium docent standing right behind me, looking concerned as she stared into my eyes. From what I could quickly gather about her, she had blonde hair that she'd just dyed a vibrant shade of blue, perfectly complementing her piercing green eyes. Her name tag read "Marina." She had an air of authority about her, yet there was also a warmth and kindness in her gaze.

"Are you okay?" she asked me. "I couldn't help but notice you seemed to be dissociating there."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," I assured her, slightly embarrassed by her gesture. "I was just looking at the shark tank."

"Okay, you had me worried there for a second. You know your granddaughter just wandered off to another area, right?"

"Granddaughter? Oh, no, no, no! Kay's not my granddaughter. She's the daughter of an old friend of mine."

In that regard, it was true. She was an old friend's daughter. On the other hand, she was my daughter, too. After all, my egg was used to make her, and I was the one to incubate her; but I didn't have a role beyond that. I carried her for Byrne, and that was that. When I had to come crawling back to Bitsy after what had happened with Aurora, I had no choice but to watch Kay grow up from a distance, witnessing her milestones from afar. It was bittersweet to know that she was out there in the world, living her life, while I remained a mere observer. There were times when I longed to be more involved, to be a mother figure to her. However, Byrne had made it clear from the beginning that he wanted me to have no part in his daughter's life beyond the biological aspect. It was a decision I had respected. I understood wholeheartedly that my role was limited to being a surrogate. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but I had accepted it for the sake of everyone involved.

"Oh, sorry, I just assumed that..." Marina's eyes scanned over me as if she were secretly scrutinizing me from head to toe. "Never mind. I don't know why I did that."

"Don't worry," I assured her. "I'm used to it. Where did Kay go anyway?"

"Oh, I think she headed off for the touch tank," Marina replied. "It's down the hall and to the left."

"Okay, thank you." I started heading off in the direction Marina pointed towards. "I appreciate the help."

"No problem, ma'am. This is why I'm a docent."

As I made my way towards the touch tank, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. On one hand, I was grateful for Marina's assistance and the fact that Kay was safe and enjoying herself at the aquarium. On the other hand, I couldn't shake off the overwhelming sense of longing and regret that had resurfaced after our brief interaction.

As I approached the touch tank, I caught sight of Kay, her face lit up with excitement as she gently touched a starfish. She looked so much like me at that moment with my dark hair and dark green eyes. That smile, however, was all Byrne's. It was a bittersweet reminder of the connection we shared, yet couldn't fully embrace.

"Kay!" I called out to her.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she turned to face me. "Oh, hey, Helen! I didn't think you'd come all the way back here."

"I just got so distracted by those sharks that I lost track of time and where I was. I guess I was just laser-focused on them or something."

"I get that way sometimes, too. I think they call it hyperfocusing."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a thing?"

"Yeah, it is. Whenever I fixate on detective work or something, I just go into this state where I lose track of all time and just... do it, you know?"

I nodded. "I think I get it, like what happened with me just then."

"Uh-huh. Sharks are pretty captivating, aren't they? I mean, they're like the rock stars of the sea."

I chuckled at her comparison. "Yeah, they definitely have a certain charisma about them."

As we continued to chat, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that lingered within me. I wanted to be more involved in Kay's life, but I also understood the complexities and boundaries that had been set in place. Still, I could only wish there was more I could do to be there for her.

"Hey, do you want to touch the starfish, too?" Kay asked, breaking my train of thought.

I smiled and nodded, deciding to focus on the present moment with Kay. As I reached out to touch the starfish, I felt a sense of connection with her, even if it was just for a fleeting moment.

Before we even knew it, my lunch break was over. I heard my phone ringing in my pocket, and to absolutely no one's surprise, I saw that it was Bitsy calling me.

I picked up. "Hello?"

"Helen, what the fuck is the hold up?!" Bitsy was practically yelling into my ear. "Come back and help me with Shampagne!"

"I'll be right there. Just give me a second."

"Come back now! I need you right this second!"

I just exhaled silently, repeated myself, and then hung up. I knew this was coming up, but it didn't make it any harder.

"Hey, I heard Bitsy yelling at you from where I'm standing," Kay piped up, looking concerned as she did. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I lied. "I just have to go now."

"Okay. Well, we're gonna hang out again soon, right?"

"Yeah, we will."

And just like that, we parted ways. Truth be told, I wasn't sure when I was going to see her again, but I had to be patient. In fact, patience was all I had going for me these days. It was the only thing driving me forward in life. As I headed back to the Brandenham, I could only hope that next week, I would be somewhere laughing. I had to hope and pray that all the abuse and trauma I endured over the years would be worth it... not just for my own sake, but for the sake of my future wealth.