Tange cast her eyes downward and felt saddened for the reality that she already knew, very well. “Mrs. Bravewolf…when Dr. Bravewolf is very sad, how do you help him? Can you make him feel better, or does he just feel sad until he feels better?”

Mhina smiled. She knelt down and gently pulled the girl into her tender embrace. “Let me tell you something.” she said, softly. “Whenever Night is so tired that he cannot stand on his own feet, that’s when I do exactly what I’m doing right now…I hold him close and tell him that I love him. I remind him that he’s not alone and that me and the boys are here to support him. We are his strength when he does not feel like being strong. He doesn’t have to be strong all of the time, we can be strong for him. That’s the very reason why we have family and friends. So, when your mother is tired, when she looks like she cannot keep moving forward, just hug her and give her all your love. It may seem like that’s all that you can do for her and it may not seem like much, but that’s the one thing that can really help her feel better. It reminds her that she is not alone and she doesn’t have to go through her troubles by herself. It’s what the people we love the most, need the most; our love and support. Do you understand?”

Tears slipped from the girl’s eyes as she nodded her head in understanding. She snuggled against the woman just a bit more and took comfort in her nearness. She would not forget her words and she would make sure to heed her wisdom. If that was all she could do, then that was what she would do. And if all she could do was the thing that her mother needed most, then she would give her all the love she could muster and more.

Meanwhile, on the ferry, the aggrieved teenagers ran through the ship, searching for the medium that could reach their deceased loved ones. Even if the children were unable to speak to their parents, siblings, and other relatives themselves, the idea that the spirits of their families and friends could possibly be among them, offered the children a measure of comfort. If there truly was someone that could communicate with them, it was an opportunity they could not pass up. Even if the chance was slim, it was a chance they had to take.