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“Oh, my sweetling.” Eleanor pulled me into her arms, and I buried my face against her shoulder. I am such an awful person.

She gently drew back to look at me. “They aren’t disappointed, Elowen. They’re afraid. You’re their first daughter, and for a while, you were lost to us.”

“But I said such awful things to Father Cedric.”

She lowered her gaze. “Because you weren’t well. You are now, and that’s that. I’m certain Mireya will confirm how much you’ve recovered, and then perhaps we can finally put all of this behind us.”

“But what if my memories never come back?”

“Oh, sweetling.” She squeezed my hands. “Of course we hope they will, but it doesn’t matter nearly as much as you think. You’re here, and you’re well. That’s what matters to us.”

“That’s the thing, Mum. Even if they forgive me, they’ve lost me. All of you have.” My throat tightened. “Even I feel lost. I feel so lost.”

Her expression softened. “I know, my sweetling, and I’m sorry. You woke surrounded by people who knew everything about you, but you knew nothing about yourself. We kept asking you to remember us when you were still trying to understand who you were. I can only imagine how frightening and lonely that must have been.”

She brought my hands to her chest. “But you don’t have to find your way back to who you were, sweetling. All you need to do is discover who you are now.” Her smile trembled slightly. “If your memories return, we’ll be grateful for them. If they don’t, we’ll make new ones together. You’re still our daughter, Elowen. No amount of forgetting could ever change that.”

“Thank you, Mum. I’m so lucky to have you. I⁠—”

“No more.” She placed her fingers gently over my lips. “We love you, and nothing will change that. Today, we’ll concern ourselves with the good. Mireya will see for herself how well you’re recovering.”

“Mum… could you stay with me during the examination? You and Fathers?” I hesitated. “I would feel so much better if you were with me. I⁠—”

“Yes,” she said firmly.

I looked at her, certain she could scent my relief. Even I could tell something had changed, so I threw my arms around her and held her tighter than I ever had before. “Thank you, Mum. Thank you so much.”

Eleanor sat beside me on the bed. Cedric occupied the chair nearest the door, with Samir and Matthias standing behind him.

“Come in, Mireya,” Eleanor said.

Mireya smiled as she stepped through the doors. “It’s good to see you, my friends.” Her eyes settled on me. “Elowen. You look much better.”

“Thank you.” I smiled and placed both hands against my cheeks. Eleanor gave my back a reassuring rub.

Mireya set her medical case on the floor beside the bed. “I’d intended to discuss my findings after the examination,” she told the men, then turned to Eleanor, “but if there’s something you wish to discuss beforehand, I’m happy to do so.”

“Nothing beyond what we discussed in our latest correspondence,” Samir told her. “We’re here to support Elowen during the examination.”

“Ah, Samir, that will hardly be necessary. Elowen is in very capable hands.” Mireya smiled at me. “In fact, I’d prefer to examine her privately. Your presence may influence her answers, however unintentionally. Surely we can agree that an accurate assessment must come first.”

My breath caught, and my scent turned slightly acrid with fear. Eleanor noticed immediately and gave me a reassuring smile.

“I understand and value your opinion, Mireya. I always have.” Her hand settled over mine. “But we’ll be here to support our daughter during this assessment and every one that follows.”

Mireya looked from Eleanor to the men. “Cedric⁠—”

Cedric lifted a hand, and Matthias spoke. “Continue as though we aren’t here, Mireya. We’re simply observers.”

Mireya looked between the three men and gave a quiet laugh. “Very well. You must forgive me; I hadn’t realised I would have such an audience today.”

“We’ll try not to interfere,” Samir said.

“I’ll hold you to that.” She smiled and turned back to me. “Very well, Elowen. Let’s see how you’re recovering.”

She took a small device from her case and secured it around my upper arm. “We’ll begin with a full scan.”

The familiar holographic display appeared above my arm almost immediately, rows of symbols, numbers and coloured lines arranging themselves in the air. Samir stepped closer to examine them.