Snuggle.

"No. It's - "

"Really, really bad."

"Maybe Luna will be able to help. Or- have ideas."

"I don't think yet, but - they're going to poke this, now."

Sigh and lean.

"...If it's Essence, I - everything's hurt, my whole body, since Luna blocked my Exaltation, but - "

"I'd rather be mortal than - a threat to my children."

"I understand."

"...I'm worried about Samira and Micqui."

"But - "

Deep breath. "They'll be back soon, and - today's been. Long. We can handle that later."

"Agreed."

She closes her eyes and tries to - meditate or something - while they wait.

It's not much longer after that that Micqui brings back the twins.

"Hello, girls."

Layla just crosses her arms sullenly.

Right.

"Let me begin by apologizing. I have not been here for you as I should have been. I missed your ceremony today. I cannot undo this, but- I am deeply sorry."

Sulk.

"Didn't want you there anyways. You're always just mad at us or mama."

"I know. That is something else I am sorry for. I have not treated you with the love you deserve."

Her expression crumples. "Why? What'd we do?"

"Oh, Layla. It wasn't anything you ever did, sweetheart."

"It was always and only my own failings."

She starts crying a bit. "Why now? You and mama were fighting, and Micqui made us hide, and she never does that, and - "

"Why is now different?"

"Tonight was... a culmination of things. Both your mama and I got angrier than we have, angrier than we should have been, and during the fight-. I felt- something inside me snap, and I realized that I didn't like the person I had become. Your mama said something similar."

"I don't know that now will be different. I hope it will be."

"We're going to try very, very hard - the hardest we've ever tried at anything - to be the parents you two deserve." Deep breath, and - "And if we're not - " Small quirk of her lips. "You have my eternal permission to tell me when I'm being a dummy head."

"I," she says, regally, "Haven't said that since I was six. I tell people they're being dumb much more maturely now."

Smile. "You do."

"You three - you've all grown up so well, even with us being - not the people we should've been." She glances at Samira, then, expression soft.

She trots forward, expression solemn.

"We still love you."

She hugs both her mothers.

She melts into the hug. "We love you more than anything."

Samira hopes this fixes things.

Her twin's a lot more skeptical, but - Layla's tired and sad, and she joins the hug, too.

"You're gonna have to teach me lots of sorcery," she says. "You said you would but you haven't been."

Hug.

"All that you want," she promises.