She nods. If Kaya won't ask directly, she certainly won't volunteer that information. It's bad enough she'll have to tell Marco. "I know. I wouldn't dream of getting rid of you, muchacha. I care too."

But she shakes her head. That will never be true. She has a responsibility to the younger people on the ship, to her loved ones, not to show weakness. And unfortunately, that's exactly what she's been doing a lot of lately. She can't live up to that mother figure she's been striving for.