It was mid-morning before the train pulled away from the station and we finally got going, and my stomach started loudly protesting my lack of breakfast. I had been planning to just pick up something on the way to work today, after Jiro’s cooking and the twin’s coffee fetching turned out to be a bust. But with the change of plans and the train hopping, I ended up with nothing. 
Uhg. Why didn’t I just grab one of the box lunches at the station? All I could do to defend my actions (or lack of them) was the fact that I was seriously coffee deficient this morning.
The two hour train ride was just underway, and I could already feel my head nodding, and my eyelids threatening to slip closed.
No sleep last night. 
No coffee this morning.
No breakfast. 
Shit.
I don’t know if Jiro noticed me struggling, or it was just a coincidence.
“I’m headed to the dining car. You want a coffee or something?”
My head shot up and my eyes flashed with desperation.
“Yes coffee! Espresso, lots of espresso!”
Honestly I was so drained, if I tried to walk to the dining car myself, I would have probably fallen flat on my face. 
I frantically dug around in my bag for my wallet.
“Here, let me grab some cash for you.”
Jiro was already sliding out of our booth seats.
“I’ve got it.”
Before I could stop him he was gone.
Oh, okay. I guess that’s fine.
I slumped back down into my bench seat and let my eyes drift closed again. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to rest my eyes for a second. Tina seemed to be happy scribbling in her coloring book.
Once my eyes shut out the weak morning light shining on us from the window, I heard it.
“Rustle, rustle. Rustle, rustle.”
I cracked one eye open to see Tina peeking over the edge of the bag, one arm hanging in the bag, digging around.
Hmm, what was in that bag again?
Oh, right the cookies.
My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.
Oh what the hell, it’s not like I’m going to gain weight.
“Why don’t we inspect those train cookies? We should make sure they’re still good for our visit with your mother, right?”
Tina bounced and nodded, pulling out the cookie tin and sliding it onto the table between us.
By the time Jiro returned with our drinks, there was a good amount of the cookies missing from the still open tin and the table was scattered with crumbs. Tina was busy nibbling on a purple cookie, smudging frosting across her mouth.
I was still running my tongue over my teeth, enjoying the last dregs of the cherry cookie I ate. It was good, surprisingly good. Tasted expensive. Like Jiro might have gotten them from one of the exclusive gift boutiques in the train station. Knowing what kind of foodie Jiro was, I wouldn’t be shocked.
Jiro raised an eyebrow at me, eyeing the open tin.
I smirked and shrugged. 
It was a few cookies, it wasn’t going to kill Tina and there was still plenty to share with that stony witch of a mother of hers.

The stony witch that I had the joy of seeing face to face just a couple hours later.
The moment her eyes landed on me, Lydia’s face twisted into a cold scowl.
“Oh, she’s here.”    
    I already knew the woman hated me. I got a good lesson in that the first time I met her. 
It didn't take a genius to figure out why. 
She had risked her whole life, she might have ended up burned at the stake, all for the chance to save her daughter. 
She had risked everything, making the biggest gamble of her life.
 And lost. 
We were about the same age, about the same income, both magic users, we might have even lived in the same neighborhood at some point. But there she was behind bars, locked away from the child she so desperately wanted to save. And here I was, walking around free as a bird, living with her child. 
It probably doesn't help that we looked similar. Not enough to be sisters, but close enough to be relatives. 
In her mind I was trying to replace her. It didn't matter that it was just a weird turn of fate and some bad decisions that made things end up this way. It's not like we could switch places, no matter how much she wants it. 
I sighed and kept my yap shut, even though her glaring irked me. 
See? The anger management classes are working. 
For a tough guy, Jiro fidgeted a lot when he was nervous. 
He kept rubbing his fingers together and shifting his weight between one foot and the other.
Okay, I get it. This wasn’t going to be a fun conversation. It didn’t help the fact that Kari’s relationship with Lydia was a little weird.
Of course, I couldn’t get anything out of Kari, she never wants to talk about Tina’s mom. 
I swear that girl is more skittery than a squirrel on pixie bane. If she doesn’t want to deal with something, good luck cornering her and making her deal with it.
Jiro, thank gods, has no problem at all gossiping about the family’s drama. So at least I can get some answers out of him.
So according to Jiro, there was some drama between Kari’s parents and Lydia. Evidently Kari and Tina share the same father? Honestly, I don’t see the resemblance at all. Anyway, Lydia didn’t like Kari’s parents and kept the girls separated growing up. Then when Kari’s parents died, instead of Kari moving in with her step mom Lydia and her half sister, Lydia left Kari in the wind. She ended up moving in with some other relatives, so I guess it all turned out alright. 
But yeah, Lydia just ditched Kari while she was grieving her parents deaths!
I mean, damn. 
And Kari was just twelve at the time. I can totally see why she would be a little bitter.
And then to make things even more strained, when poor sweet Tina was killed in a car accident, and Lydia was in an equally painful situation, Kari swoops in and saves the day. 
So now there’s this weird awkwardness between them. Where Lydia is trying to make it up to Kari because she knows she owes her step-daughter big time, and Kari is just not that interested because when the cards were down for her, she’s already seen how Lydia would act.
It’s weird to think that Kari was actually altruistic and the good guy for once.
I guess it’s only my life she likes screwing up.
Jiro gently put Tina on her feet, letting her run to her mother. He settled down onto one of the couches in the visiting room, offered what was left of the cookies in the tins, went through the standard pleasantries. 
I’ve seen enough hostile witnesses trying to wait out police interrogations for their lawyers to show up to recognized the sighs. 
He was definitely stalling.
Unfortunately for Jiro, Lydia might not make the best decisions under stress, but she wasn’t stupid either. She tilted her head to one side, looking for all the world like the perfect little “Good Witch” from a kid’s movie.
“Jiro? What’s going on? This isn’t time for one of our usual bi-monthly visits.”
Her eyes swept over the room again.
“Where’s Kari?”
Jiro let out a deep sigh, rubbing a callused hand over his face and shiny bald head.
“Something has happened.”