Mom (Me): Hello Lark.

Lark (The Dreamer): Oh, hey Mom. You’re not talking to Ivy today?

Mom: Not today, no. I’m more worried about you.

Lark: Me? Why?

Mom: It feels like you have a lot going on recently — you wanted so badly to summon Ivy, but now that she’s here there’s constantly friction between you two. Despite that, it seems like you’re desperate to rush into a connection with her, as if you’ll only get a short time to do it. Honestly Lark, this doesn’t feel like you.

Lark (annoyed): How would you know? I’ve only been here for a few months — you barely know me.

Mom: I suppose, but you’re also my past. Framed another way, I’ve known you my entire life.

Lark: I… Okay yeah, you’re right. It’s weird, isn’t it? I know that she’s my sister and that we’re both here in this space together for who knows how long…

Mom: As long as I’m alive, presumably.

Lark: That’s hopefully going to be a while. I guess I have plenty of time, don’t I?

Mom: All the time that I have. So why all this urgency?

Lark: I don’t know exactly… It’s just sort of this gut feeling that I have, that I need to set things right between Ivy and I.

Mom (confused): Set things right? What do you mean?

Lark: I don’t know exactly, but I have to get closer to her in order to do anything like that… So I want to be her friend.

Mom: No, I mean why would you have to set things right? What could have gone wrong between the two of you? You barely know each other.

Lark (cleverly): I suppose, but framed another way, haven’t I known her my entire life?

Mom (slowly): No… No you haven’t. She’s your *older* sister, so she didn’t exist in your time.

Lark (puzzled): Wait, she’s older than me so she wasn’t around when I was young? How does that work?

Mom: Sorry, it gets confusing because you girls represent different slices of my history. What I mean is she comes after you chronologically.

Lark: Okay, but maybe I’m reacting to some later bit of your history then, rather than one of my memories.

Mom (pondering): I suppose that’s possible…

Lark (excited): Or maybe it’s my instinct! You said I have one too, right?

Mom: Your Dreamer instinct? Yes, you should have one — but your Dreamer instinct necessarily relates to our dreams and long term goals. Getting married and starting a family was a major long term goal of mine, so I’d expect your instinct to be compatible with that, not in conflict with it.

Lark: Well, what if our partner is getting in the way of fulfilling a different dream? Or blocking some desire of ours, somehow? That could cause me to feel some sort of conflict, couldn’t it?

Mom: Possibly… Is that what’s happening though?

Lark (unsure): Well… I don’t know, honestly. But we’re here to figure ourselves out — self-discovery and all that. Maybe I should revisit Ivy’s memories and see what kinds of feelings they bring up; they could lead me to new understanding.

Mom: Haven’t you visited those memories before?

Lark: Yeah, but that was before you summoned Ivy. When I visited them before I think I was just in awe that those memories even existed — that we actually met someone and started a family. Now that I’ve met Ivy and started to come to terms with her existence, I think I’m processing those memories on a deeper level.

Mom: Okay, that’s a fair point. I suppose it can’t hurt.

Lark (smiling): Great; I’ll get started right away!

Mom (hesitant): Hang on, Lark…

Lark: What’s wrong?

Mom: Just… I want you to come to me if you get frustrated or if visiting her memories becomes too much. I brought you here so we can figure ourselves out together — you don’t have to do this on your own anymore. Okay?

Lark (timid): Okay… Thanks Mom. I guess you really are my mother, huh? It’s not just a title.

Mom (flushed): Of course, dearest. Just like you’ll always be my daughter.

Lark (grinning): Could… Could I have a hug before I go?

Mom: Of course you can, sweetheart.

(Lark and I embrace, getting our fill of each other’s warmth before heading our separate ways.)