My roommate has covid and we both gotta quarantine so there will probably be more soon cause I'm borrrrredddd When Thora woke up, she wasn't in Mama's ship anymore. She and Lidy and Cal were all in one bed, in a very small room. She got up and looked around, pushing open a door into a little hallway. There was only one other room in the hallway, a dark room full of dusty computers. It was nowhere near as big as her home. She found Mama in a kitchen less than half the size of their kitchen, making oatmeal on the stove. Mama looked up and saw her. "Good morning, baby." "Where are we?" Mama looked around. "This is where I lived, before I met Daddy." "Where are the people that you said are going to help us?" "They're at the palace. I've sent them a message, but I don't know if I'll be allowed to talk to them." Mama frowned as she spooned out a bowl of oatmeal and put it on the table for her. Thora sat down and started to eat. "Why not?" "Well, it's a long story. We're in a place called the Reef, and it's where I grew up. The Reef is ruled by Queen Mara Sov, and I used to work for her. I made a promise to serve her forever, but I broke my promise. I ran away to marry your dad. I thought I'd be happy, but..." Mama sighed. "Everything's ruined, now, and I have to protect you kids. I just hope Mara can forgive me." Thora thought she might understand how this Queen felt. Daddy had promised to never leave her, and he had left anyways. It hurt when people didn't keep their promises. But if Mama hadn't married Daddy, obviously, Thora and Lidy and Cal wouldn't have been born, so maybe some things were for the better. "It's more complicated than that, though. Your dad told you about guardians, right? How he used to be someone else before he died and got brought back to life by Glint?" "Yeah." "Well, before he died, he was the Queen’s brother. And she wanted him to come back and be her brother again, but he didn't want to. He wouldn't. So-" "So you didn't just break your promise to this Queen," Thora said slowly, "You got her brother, and she didn't. He loved you, but not her." "I... wow, yeah. Kids say everything so bluntly. I was trying not to think about it like that." "Sorry." "No, it's my own fault. I made a mistake. I don't know where else to go, though." "We could go where Daddy is," Thora suggested. "No. No way. It isn't safe for you and your siblings. And... he left. I'm not going to chase him." Mama's lip trembled. "I gave him plenty of chances, in both of his lives, but he only cares about himself, and I should have seen! I-" she stopped, seeing the look on Thora's face. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. That's not true. That's just my broken heart talking. He's trying to do what he thinks is best. I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking to you like this. It isn't right." "He cares about us. He said he'd come back. He said he'd come back when he was done with whatever he's trying to do." "I know. I'm sorry. Everything will be alright." Thora had many questions, but she didn't want to ask them right now. She wanted to help Mama, but everything she said felt sharp, like it was poking into her heart. She didn't want to hear Mama's broken heart talk anymore. She finished her oatmeal and went back to the bed where Cal and Lidy were still fast asleep, and snuggled up next to them.