“Liz told me that Ami should learn Aunare quickly once she’s exposed to it. Once she feels safe, she might start to remember some of her memories, but again, her age at the time of the wipe is a factor. Some of those memories would’ve faded anyway because she was only six the last time she saw any of us. The wipe gave them an extra push. Although some part of her might think of us as familiar, she said to think of this as a fresh start with her.”

“I just…I thought she’d remember me. Us.” His voice wavered.

I felt terrible that I’d hurt him. I didn’t like that there were things that I was forced to forget. It felt too much like a betrayal, even if I understood why my mother had done it. Getting a little kid to keep quiet must’ve been an impossible task.

“I know,” Declan said. “Me, too. But I think that’s why she’s reacting to your voice. The memories are really buried in her subconscious, but they must still be there.”

“That had to be a very skilled wipe. Removing a language and memories of people, but leaving who and what she was.”

“Yes. Liz used all of their money for it.”

A loud gasp came through the line. “How did they survive without the money we left for them?”

I didn’t know much about the wipe, but this was a question I could answer. “We worked. Wherever we went, we found odd jobs. Cleaned houses. Mom did hair for a while. Babysat for neighbors. Did handy work. I read a book on plumbing and…” I let out a breath as I remembered all the times I’d been scared. The times when we didn’t have enough money for food. The times when we huddled together with only a blanket to keep us warm as we slept on the cold pavement.

“None of it was easy, but we made it work.” I didn’t know what all Mom had told Declan, but I didn’t feel like spilling my guts about the last thirteen years. And I certainly wasn’t going to argue about the choices my mother made to ensure our survival. “Can you help me with my skin? I want to go home. I need sleep. My shift starts in five hours, and I haven’t been to bed yet. I just need to get through the next day.”

“Your shift?”

“For the last five years, I’ve been waitressing at a diner during the day. My mom is a cook there, too. She got me the job once I was old enough. In the evening, I teach martial arts to people—mostly teenagers. I don’t make money on the classes though. But I’m going on twenty hours of no sleep after a double shift, teaching, and my workout—”