Wendy was a nervous wreck. She had spent half the night crying about Peter, and the other half of the night being angry at herself for crying about Peter. He had every right to be kissing other girls. He didn't belong to her, and she had been the one that had pushed him away in the first place. But the sight of him with that girl had filled her with more pain than she had thought possible.
At about five in the morning she had the presence of mind to realize that her mother should have been home. It was her night off at the hospital. Wendy tried calling her a dozen times, but got no answer. Then she called the hospital and talked to an irate nurse who informed her that her mother hadn't been in all week.
Wendy began to panic. She tore through the apartment, looking for some clue, some reason that would explain her mother's absence, but she wasn't thinking straight and she ended up just making a big mess. As the sun came up, she sat on the edge of her bed rocking back and forth and crying. Her anxiety combined with no sleep caused a hysteria that nearly overtook her. Just as she was about to collapse in her bed from exhaustion, she heard the front door open.
"Wendy? Are you here?"
She jumped off of her bed and ran to the front room, almost knocking her mother over as she embraced her.
"Wendy! What's wrong? What happened to this place?"
"I thought you were gone," Wendy choked out, crying into her mother's shoulder. "I called the hospital..."
Mrs. Darling grunted. "Hm, the hospital. Yes, that's going to be a problem."
Wendy pulled away and took a few deep breaths. She examined her mother. She didn't look hurt or distressed. Rather, she seemed happy and excited and refreshed.
"Mom, where were you?"
Mrs. Darling smiled and guided Wendy to the couch. "Sit down, honey, I'll tell you all about it. But first, I need to tell you that I saw Peter."
Wendy shook her head. "Peter? What, at the bakery?"
"Bakery?"
"He works at the bakery near Mrs. Nancy's with this stupid girl..."
"No, I didn't see him there. It was actually all a very odd situation. You see, he saved my life."
Wendy rubbed her forehead. What was her mother talking about? She thought perhaps she was dreaming.
"Anyway," Mrs. Darling continued, "I think I misjudged him, and I wonder if maybe you should give him another chance."
Wendy shook her head. "I don't want to talk about Peter," she said, again trying to expel the image of him with that girl from her mind. "But mom, where have you been? And what is that smell? You smell like..." she trailed off, knowing it was impossible. And yet, there was only one place in the world that smelled like that.
Her mother leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling. "Finish what you were saying," she urged.
Wendy swallowed hard. "You smell like Neverland."
Mrs. Darling broke into a smile and put her arm around Wendy's shoulders. "I suppose I would smell like Neverland after spending a week there."
Wendy stared at her in disbelief, and her mother laughed. It was a relaxed, musical laugh that Wendy hadn't heard in years.
Her mother winked and pulled her closer. "I hope you don't have any plans this morning, because we have a lot to talk about."