Igna Peren's afternoon had run way behind schedule. She had finished her morning routine at the institution and had gone back home. Her boy, little Tyke, had been sent home from school after falling down on the playground. His front tooth had come loose and she hated that she had to come check in at the institution again, instead of staying home with her son.

She had tried calling Patty Gennings, whom she had left semi-incharge. But all Patty was good for, was sitting at the front door looking lost. And they were expecting the plumber to come in and fix the sink in Mrs. Waldam's room, who'd been complaining about it for six months now.

Mrs. Waldam was the bane of Igna Peren's existence. She'd loosen the washer from the tap, complain about it leaking, and ask for a plumber. The woman belonged in an asylum. Completely not in her senses. Igna only put up with her because she felt sorry for her. She'd lost her daughter after all.

If she could just leave the freaking tap alone!

Comparatively, Patty was a lot better. She never complained, but she didn't do much else either. So with Igna, she alternated between being mildly frustrating to vanishing into oblivion.

Not the worst thing she had to deal with. Unlike the nurse at the doctor's office, who'd been so judgemental when she took little Tyke in for his tooth, as if she were a neglectful mother.

But what does she know? She told herself.

Being as condescending as humanly possible, the nurse had told her how little kids needed constant attention. She had then cleaned it and asked Igna to ice the area in intervals, but that just wasn't possible. She couldn't leave Patty to deal with the plumber. So she asked her sister to come over and take care of Tyke, knowing full well she'd have to return the favor someday. The woman kept scores.

With her mind full of Mrs. Waldam's leaky sink and her son's injury, she walked right past Patty sitting at the entrance until the other woman ran behind her calling, "Mrs. Peren! Mrs. Peren, wait!"

"Oh. Patty. Didn't see you there. Please tell me the plumber didn't already leave."

"The plumber?" Patty looked completely surprised. She'd obviously forgotten what Igna had told her repeatedly that morning.

"Yes. The plumber. Weren't you paying attention this morning when I told you?" she asked, through gritted teeth.

"Never mind the plumber. There's people to visit Dala Sakit," Patty added in a conspiratorial tone, with her round eyes popping.

"What?" Igna asked sharply.

"There's a girl wanting to see her. She's been waiting. Waiting to see Dala Sakit!"

"What girl?"

"Twenty something I'd say. You know what I think? I think that's the daughter. The one that ran away." She added the last part in a whisper, as if Tressi could hear her all the way in the office.

"Are you sure she said Dala?"

"How 'bout that? You could've knocked me down with a feather. Asking for Dala after all these years. Where was she for so long, I'd like to know. Certainly isn't decent. Leaving her own mother to rot in this hell hole and shacking up with some guy. It's not right," Patty said with her chest heaving.

Igna suspected this outburst had more to do with her own daughter leaving her here than any sympathy on Dala's behalf.

"I think I better go see what she wants," she said, leaving Patty to fume by herself.

She knew Dala Sakit had once had a daughter but the girl had run away from home so long ago. She was curious why she would be back now, if it was indeed her daughter.

Who else could it be?

Dala Sakit never spoke about her only surviving child, which was surprising because Dala wasn't exactly 'withdrawn'. The girl—or woman now, she supposed—who had returned after so long, intrigued her. Her quick appraisal upon entering her office left her unsure. Same eyes, maybe. The lips looked a little similar. This girl was decent looking but could only be described as plain. Nothing like the obvious beauty her mother once was.

"Welcome. I'm Igna Peren, the warden here. You must be Dala Sakit's daughter?" It came out like a question even though there was no doubt in her mind.

After all, who else could it be?

"Yes. I'm Tressi Sakit," she said, offering her hand.

"Patty, my assistant outside, told me you wanted to speak to your mother?" she said, waving Tressi towards the chair opposite her desk.

"Yes. It's been some time since we've seen each other. I just wanted to..." Tressi trailed off, not knowing how to quite complete the sentence. But her embarrassment was spared by the door opening and Patty popping her head in.

"Want something to drink?" she asked bluntly, while blatantly staring at Tressi, trying to figure out why she was here.

Igna grinded her teeth. "We are talking here, Patty. Please knock next time, but since you are here"—she turned to Tressi—"Would you like something to drink?"

Tressi declined and Igna dismissed Patty with a nod of her head.

"Do you have specific visitor timings? If so, I can come back later," Tressi enquired.

"Oh no. We don't have anything like that. Not many visitors here anyways. You are the first one this month," Igna glanced at the time. "It's past lunch now, so Dala will be in her room. I'll ask Patty to show you the way."

Tressi thanked her as her pulse quickened imperceptibly.