Blacktail Deer Plateau I just called to say I love you.

At Khoe's words, Easy just cried harder. They were not shocking, of course. Part of her had known that she'd never truly get her mother back. Still, as reality settled in on her, she found herself so overcome with sorrow that she could not even breathe through her tears, and her chest began to ache for want of air.

Even through her physical distress, she tried to question the dark woman, tried to ask why - but she couldn't squeeze any more air out of her lungs, and found herself quite unable to do anything other than gasp for breath, and wail when her lungs allowed for it. This was all just so terrible - like a dream turned into a nightmare from which her father was unable to wake her.

And, quite suddenly, she knew exactly what would make everything better.

"Daddy!" Easy shrieked, tearing herself away from her mother's embrace. "DADDY!" she called again, stumbling a few steps forward. "DADDY, HELP!"