"It shouldn't be like that," she said, shaking her head. "You're born and ... it's not supposed to be like that. It isn't. I'm so ... sorry. That you've just had this whole ..."

She closed her eyes, fighting for words. Dammit.

"You did some bad things," she said, and wow, was that an understatement. "But that doesn't mean ... you don't deserve to ever have good things. Like being here. I ... I s-said being here was good for you, and he ... didn't disagree, you know?"