In the past, the governors had always pardoned their mothers as soon as they could. Only Arturo had been cruel enough to make sure that Natale was tied to them without hope of a pardon.

Lise took a deep breath. “Darling keeps telling me that before our father’s death, Momair was extremely loving and kind. But I have no memory of her being anything other than a bitter, resentful bitch.”

Frowning, Lise glanced toward the operating room doors. “Sometimes I think it’s harder on Darling since he has memories of having a real mother, than for me and Drake. We don’t remember her being nice or giving. But when Darling talks about the past… you can see in his eyes how much he misses the parents he had. Sometimes it makes me wish that I remembered them, too. Instead, all I know about my father is what my brothers, mostly Darling, tell me. And I have no concept of being mothered by anyone except Darling and Maris.”

Zarya had to smile at that. “They are good at that, aren’t they?”

Lise nodded. “The saddest truth? I wouldn’t know anything about makeup or clothes at all, but for Maris. He was even the one who went with me to buy my first bra.”

Zarya laughed. “Seriously?”

“Oh, yeah. I’d asked Darling to go with me, but he’d been so offended that Maris had volunteered. At the time, I thought it was solely because he didn’t want me growing up. Now…”

“It would have been extremely awkward for him,” Zarya finished, trying to imagine Darling in a women’s lingerie boutique. Although, he did have a deep appreciation for it…

Teasingly, she rubbed her arm against Lise’s. “If it makes you feel any better, Maris is the one who taught me, too.”

Lise laughed. “If you ever get a chance, you really should go shopping with him. I’ve never seen anyone get so excited about shoes.” The humor faded as she turned serious again. “I know Sorche doesn’t remember her mother, but do you?”

“I do.”

Lise considered that for a moment. “What was it like?”

Zarya wasn’t sure what she meant. “What was what like?”

“Having a mother. Was she kind?”

Zarya couldn’t speak for several seconds around the lump in her throat that those words caused. It’d always saddened her that Sorche couldn’t remember their mother. But Lise’s was alive…

I will never understand Natale. How could she neglect her children so?

“She was wonderful. I’m sure we fought, but I don’t remember it at all. I only remember her laughing and hugging us.”

“I’m so sorry, Z.”

Her apology startled her. “For what?”

“Everything my uncle did to you.” Lise glanced over to Sorche who was snoring ever so softly. “I know how much Patrice and Rachelle meant to Sorche. She said that you and Rachelle were very close.”

Zarya clenched her teeth against the wave of pain that crashed through her at the mention of her sisters. She even missed her brother’s meanness. “We were.”