"I love you, Mum,"I'd wanted to tell her that for so long, but hadn't been able to.

She fiddled with my hair, arranging each strand in its place. "I love you twice that!"

"I love you to the moon and back!" I giggled.

"I love you to the sun and back!" She kissed my forehead, messing up my hair again.

Those were the last words I heard her say, right before I woke up.

<^>

I woke on the cot Mal must have been talking about. It was a small back room but it was comfortable and warm. But before I moved, I heard someone breathing behind me. I froze up and counted down from twenty to when I would find out who it was.

11, 10, 9, 8..... maybe it's just Mal, or maybe it's Neil.... 4, 3, 2... here goes... I jumped up and flipped on my other side, scaring John half to death.

"Geez, Macca, what're you tryin to do, gimme a heart attack??"

"Sorry, John, I didn't know who it was," I paused. "Wh-why were you watching me sleep?"

He fidgeted with his thumbs nervously, being surprisingly un-John-like. "I...I heard you mumbling about your mum..."

"Come to check on me?" I teased, then saw his expression. I sighed. "Thank you, John, I really do appreciate that. It means a lot,"

"You're alright, then?" he still looked a bit concerned after I nodded. John didn't usually show this side of him: gentle, caring, and thoughtful. He usually played everything off as a joke no matter how much it mattered. Only every once in a while, and only around me, did he let this side of him show; which made it all the more special. "Well, we'll be waiting out there when you come out," he got up and left without another word.

"What was it she said?" I muttered to myself, trying to remember what my mum had told me. It can't have been more than ten minutes ago and I've already forgotten!