It was later that morning when Candy finally returned home with Turq. She was still a little anxious about talking to Holly and her mom, but she was feeling more at ease about everything after her talk with Turq.
 
“I’m home! Ma? Holly?”
 
Her mom and wife were already in the living room, presumably waiting for her. When she entered they looked up at her, smiling but with a hint of awkwardness.
 
“Hey,” Firefly greeted.
 
Candy swallowed down the small lump of hesitation in her throat. “Hey…”
 
A tense, awkward silence ensued between them until Holly spoke up. “Candy…we’re sorry about what we said last night.”
 
Firefly took this icebreaker as a chance to speak as well. “Yeah, we really fucked up. At least I did.”
 
Candy thought back to what Turq had said, and took a deep breath. “I forgive you, both of you. And I understand that you want to protect me, but I still need to be able to remember the good times I had with Mother, even if they hurt. I’m not asking for you to agree with me, but I am asking for you to understand me and respect my choice. Ok?”
 
“Of course, Candy, we should’ve listened to you from the beginning,” Holly got up from the couch and went over to her wife, with Firefly not far behind. “You have a right to your feelings.”
 
“Yeah,” Firefly agreed. “We’re probably not gonna change how we feel either, but you’re my kid. It was pretty low of me to let my anger get in the way and make you feel like shit instead of just, agreeing to disagree.”
 
She pulled out a familiar photograph from under her wing, one pieced together by tape. “I don’t know if this helps, but…”
 
Candy started to choke up a little and took the picture in her hooves, “Thank you.”  
She smiled and hugged the two mares. “I love you both.”
 
“And we love you too. C’mere!” Firefly stretched out her wings and pulled both her daughter and her daughter-in-law in for another hug.
 
After she let go, Holly piped up, “So what will ya tell the young’uns, Candy?”
 
“I think they deserve to know the truth, the whole truth. Secrets help nobody in the end,” Candy replied. “They can make their own opinions on the rest. And I don’t want it to just be me telling them, I want us all to. We all have our own stories and points of view about her that they have a right to know.”
 
Holly and Firefly both nodded in affirmation at this.
 
“We’ll tell them whenever you’re ready, Candy. Together.”