"I... don't understand"

"... Girlfriend? I had a girlfriend?" Maria nods her head, avoiding all eye contact with her friend. "And you didn't tell me this... why exactly?" Carol couldn't say she was angry- no, that wouldn't be fair- she was just ever-so-slightly miffed that she had planned to leave the universe without knowing this information and Maria was perfectly okay with that. The guilty look in the woman's eye was enough to tell Carol it was for a good reason.

For a while, it felt like the two women were the only people in the room. There was no Fury, who was looking equally as befuddled as young Monica did, and there was no Goose weaving around Carol's ankles. There was a whole part of Carol's life she had yet to remember, the only thing there to make it real was the polaroid in her hand and the page of photographs.

"Can you tell me about her?" She asks. "About us?"

"It was hard for all of us when they told us you were dead, Carol. Especially her, I don't think it's a good idea." Maria sighed as she pleaded with Carol to not make her recount the times that were most painful for everyone.

"I really don't care anymore, Maria. I need to know." With a nod, Maria stands, collects the photo album from her daughter and approaches her friend.

"Very well," she sighs, "we'll take it to the table."