When dawn comes, I finally awaken to a pain-free morning. I'm lying in bed with Catalina, the blankets only just covering us. I turn over to see she is awake and leaning on her elbows, her face hovering over mine. "Are you all right?" She asks.
"The pain's gone."
A smile breaks across her face. "Thank goodness it worked. Ruby would've been worried sick if it didn't."

I climb out of bed, find my nightgown from the night before, and put it on. "No, Emma, you don't need to do that."
"Your ladies will be here soon, and we don't want them to realise what happened."
Catalina sighs and lies back. "You are right."
I begin setting out the gown and jewels she wants to wear. "I have other ladies who will do that."
I grin and give her a thumbs-up, and Catalina laughs.

Someone knocks on the door. "Come in," Catalina calls, ensuring the sheet covers herself.
Mum opens the door. "Did everything go well?"
"It did, yes."
Mum glances at me. "And the pain? Is it gone?"
"It is," I smile. "Thanks for the suggestion, Mum."
"I'm glad I can help." She walks in and shuts the door behind her. "Emma, Sarah Jane, and I will be returning to Court soon. Will you be coming with us?"
I shrug. It still feels too soon. "Maybe in May."
"Are you sure?"
I need time to figure out what to do. Besides, I need to stay away from Court a little longer. The longer I put off seeing Jane, the better. I nod, and Mum pulls me into a hug. "We plan on staying a couple more days if you approve, Catalina."
"Of course," Catalina says. "You, Sarah Jane, and Emma are always welcome in my household."

Mum releases me. "You have more time to think about what to do next. We would love it if you returned to Court with us, but we understand if you wish to stay."
"Thank you, Mum."

Over the next few days, I spend most of my time with Mum and Mummy. We often find ourselves sewing with the rest of Catalina's ladies or taking walks in the gardens. While it is still winter, we enjoy our time outside. I love escaping from the ladies-in-waiting and maids-of-honour. While that might sound bad, I no longer have any friends in Catalina's household, and Catalina doesn't count.

I know our time together will end soon. There is no way I can face Jane yet. I try to push her out of my mind and enjoy the time I have with my parents. Who knows when they must return to Court?

As it turns out, they get a letter the following day. "We must return to Court," Mum says. "King Henry is demanding our presence."
"What about me?" I ask. "Is he demanding I return?"
Mum reads through the letter. "He does not say. I would have thought he would have."
"Does anyone else know I am here?"
"Anne, obviously, as do most of the group. Jane doesn't."
I sigh. It could be good if King Henry isn't forcing me to return. I can live out a few months in peace.

Mum packs her belongings that evening, but Mummy doesn't. The two of us take a walk in the garden. "I want to make sure you are okay before I leave."
"I will be fine, Mummy."
She shakes her head, and tears fill her eyes. "Things will grow more difficult, and I don't want to leave you alone."
"I won't be alone; I have Catalina."
Mummy gives me a bitter smile. "It is not the same. Nothing about this is right."

We both look around. Neither of us belongs in Tudor England, no matter how long we stay here. We will no longer belong in any century. "It isn't," I agree, "but we don't have a choice."
"We've already changed history a little."
"Have we?"
Mummy laughs. "You were not supposed to follow Catalina."
I chuckle. "Fair enough."

Mum leaves the following morning, but Mummy stays behind. We fall back into our old relationship before Mum turned up. She helps us work on the alter cloth, and her sewing has improved since I was last with her. "You must miss Mum," I say one evening as we settle down to sleep.
"Not really."

I stare at her. I always thought Mum and Mummy would stay together no matter what. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"
"I never told you the truth about how you were born or anything. Now you are older, and you should know the truth."

We sit down on my bed, and Mummy tells me her story. She clasps her hands as if she's trying to stop herself from waving them around frantically. "It started in 1990, when I was pregnant with my last child with Ruby."
Wait, what? 1990 was three years before I was born, but if it was Mummy's last child with Mum...
Mummy lets it sink in for a few moments. She takes my silence as permission to continue. "All my pregnancies were violent as her children kept trying to eat me from the inside out." Tears pool in her eyes, and I hug her.
"You don't have to tell me now."
"But if I don't do it now, I may never tell it."
I continue holding Mummy as she continues. "Each time, we called the Doctor, and he aborted the child. This time, Ruby wanted to ensure that nothing like that could happen again and asked the Doctor to make her infertile."
"Mum is infertile?" I let go of Mummy and look at her.
Mummy nods. "She is infertile in the twenty-first century, but she isn't right now."
"Does she...?" I don't know how I can finish that question.
Thankfully, Mummy nods. "I already told her what happened when we first met."
"Oh, you mean when you asked me to give you two some private time?"

Mummy nods. "Exactly. Ruby agrees to not have sex with me right now. She doesn't want me to go through the same horrors that I did back then."
"But it's still going to happen to your younger self."
Mummy nods. "If I could save those children, I would. They were innocent. It wasn't their fault." She starts crying, and I hand her a handkerchief. She dries her eyes and starts wringing it in her hands. "We soon found another problem. My uterus was almost destroyed and in a state where it would be deadly if I tried to conceive again. Thankfully, the Doctor took us to a planet, New Earth, and got the feline nuns there to perform surgery on me." She notices my questioning look. "Do not ask about the procedure."
"I wasn't going to." Mummy tries to hand me back the handkerchief, but I press it into her hands. "You might still need it."
Mummy nods and keeps hold of it. "While that was going on, the Doctor started looking for other Qetesh that will be willing to help me. He heard legends that a Qetesh and human can fall in love, and for them, it will be true love."
"Really? I always thought true love didn't exist."

Mummy smiles. "It doesn't for most people. Love between a human and a Qetesh is a strange thing."
"Can it happen with hybrids?"
Mummy nods. "The Doctor confirmed that during the Krillitane invasion at the school. It was the night I was breaking into the school."
"And you said it wouldn't be interesting." I fold my arms. How do I remember that after all this time?

"Anyway, a lot of Qetesh arrived, but neither of us felt that spark. The Doctor was growing desperate and decided to look for Qetesh who were born on Earth. There were only a handful or so throughout Earth's history."
"I assume he found the right person."
Mummy nods. Her eyes look like she's staring into the distance. "His name was—will be—Edward Smith. He was—will be—born in 1850. He will become a sailor."
"What year was he in when you two met?"
"March 1873. It meant that his timeline and mine lined up. He already had an illegitimate son, Henry."

I give Mummy a look. "We didn't just do it during the time we were together. His son was born in September 1872."
I sit quietly for a while. Not only do I have a father, but I also have a half-brother. "Do I ever meet them? Will they know who I am?"
"That is for you to find out for yourself. Now, if you do not mind, I need some time to think."

I nod and head to my own bed when Catalina comes in. "Emma? Can you please stay with me tonight? I do not want to be alone right now."
"Okay," I agree. I head to Catalina's room and settle on the trundle bed.

Mummy told me so much today. I need time to process what she said.