Zenith nods with a smile. "Great, because I'd hate to start over." A pot simmers, the oven is on, and she's cutting ingredients.
Carra sighs. "Look, you know how I always act all cool and nonchalant about my past as a street kid? Well, it's all a lie. I miss the few memories I have before my dad left, before my mom went off the deep end. I miss having a stable home and being perfectly fine with being sheltered. I miss... my childhood. It went by a lot faster than most people's, but I remember every moment. I miss the time before I got so used to prison that I'd memorized every trick to escape, the time before I had to memorize guard shifts and every detail about each guard, everything from rank to preferred weapon and favored side. I miss the time before I had to think through every word and action, before I had to play mind games past the ones on TV. I miss the time when... when I wasn't feared or despised or worshipped. When I was loved, and it was enough." Some time during her rambling, Carra had started crying.