It was long past time for a family meeting.

Pristine Melody sat on the couch with her baby in her arms and her husband and daughters by her side. She knew exactly what she needed to do, but the looks on the girls’ faces told her it wasn’t going to be easy. Even Cursive Quill, who was so generously willing to come home and give her a chance, wasn’t as warm and loving as usual. But then Mel looked down at her baby boy and realized it wasn’t just herself she was doing this for.

“I’m sure y’all know why I called y’all here today,” she began.

“I can think of a million reasons-“ Fafa piped up before Holly jabbed her with an elbow.

Mel winced, but forced herself to continue on. “I know that lately I haven’t been the best Mum. Or the best wife…“

“Go on,” Fafa urged.

“I’ve hurt lots o’ ponies with my actions. Yer Momma, yer Auntie, my husband,” she looked to Quill, “An’ most importantly, my children. I’ve been thinkin’ about it an awful lot, and Quilly, yer right. I really have only been thinkin’ about myself. If I could go back in time and undo everything I did to hurt y’all…”

“You can’t,” Holly said, softly but sternly.

“Yer right, I can’t. An’ I wouldn’t, because it wouldn’t be fair to lil’ Bel.” Mel looked down at the baby in her arms. And upon the looks she got from her daughters, she continued, “It ain’t his fault his Mum was stupid. Ya can’t blame him for existin’. No matter what, we gotta love him like we would any baby, whether y’all consider him yer brother or not,” she passed him over to her daughters.

“An’ as for me…I know I can’t fix this easily. I know ya ain’t gonna forgive me right away, or maybe ever, and I don’t blame y’all…” she drew a shuddering breath, “But I’m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry, an’ I will do whatever it takes to stop makin’ these mistakes again. I’ll do everything I can to put y’all first and think of others fer once. An’ I know I’ve apologized a million times before, but I mean it. Even if y’all have to talk sense into me again n’ again,” she chuckled halfheartedly.

Cursive rubbed her back. “Thank you, dear. I think we all needed to hear this. Agreed?” He looked to Holly and Fafa.

“As long as you’re actually learnin’ something and not just spoutin’ a bunch of bullshit-“

Holly covered her sister’s mouth. “What she means—what WE mean to say—is that you’re right, we’re not ready to forgive now. We want to see your actions change, an apology won’t fix it because it clearly hasn’t in the past.”

“I know,” Mel nodded solemnly.

“You’re our Mum and we love you, but stuff like this ain’t something you just get over. You hurt us, you hurt Momma, our family has been torn apart and put back together so much it ain’t even funny. So it’ll take time, and only if YOU put in the work. We accept your apology, but you need to show us that you mean it.”

Mel looked to her daughters and then to her husband, gripping their hooves firmly and sincerely. “I will. I’ll do everything I can n’ more to show y’all I’m sorry and make myself a better pony. For all of us.”