Left to her lonesome, Lorna sighs. She lies back on her pillow and holds the picture to her heart. Her fingers lightly caress the flimsy piece of paper. ”I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to get outta here as quickly as possible, Emilio. Mommy hates being without you,” tears well up in her eyes as she feels herself start to cry. She will never forgive herself for getting into this mess – for making her son live without his mother.

On her way to the cafeteria, Nicky passes Lorna’s cube and notices her muffled cries. She comes to a halt immediately and walks over towards the brunette. ”Hey; what’s wrong, kid? Why ya cryin’?” She gently sits down beside Lorna, looking at her with worry.

Wiping desperately at her tears, Lorna glances up at the redhead. ”Oh, n-nothin’. Just have bad eye allergies is all,” she lies miserably, still clutching tightly onto the photo of her son.

”Oh yeah? Is that why your face is soaked with tears and your eyes are blood-shot?” Nicky folds her arms over her chest, not buying her lie for even a second. ”Please, kid, I know a lie when I hear one.” She notices the tiny squared-paper in Lorna’s hand and becomes intrigued, ”What’s that you’re holding, Lorna? Is that what’s got you all upset?”

Lorna uncomfortably gulps as she grips tighter onto the picture. ”Just-just a photo I brought with me,” she sniffles, feeling tears drip down to her hands.

”A photo of who?” Nicky softly asks, moving closer to the small woman. She comfortingly touches her shoulder, looking empathetically down at her. ”It must be someone important to upset you this bad.”

”I-I – Emilio,” she chokes out, shakily placing the picture in Nicky’s hand. ”I-I have a baby, and now I’ve ruined his life…He-he won’t even know that, that I’m his mother when I get out…” Tears come faster and nonstop out of her brown eyes, she can feel her body shaking with each of her loud cries.

Nicky instinctively wraps the short woman in her strong arms. She drops a soothing kiss atop her head while tangling her hand through her hair. ”Shh, calm down. It’s okay, kid – it’s not like you meant to get yourself locked up…I doubt you ruined his life. You’re probably a better mother than mine was; so don’t fuckin’ beat yourself up over it.” She squeezes her tight, looking sadly at her, ”Come on, kid, let’s go to the cafeteria before we get in trouble…and maybe getting some food in you will keep your mind off things.”