"You clearly needed that, huh?"

"Yeah, I've been thinking about this cigarette for the last hour. My mouth was practically watering," Emily described, before sensing she was being a bit too flippant.

"I mean, it just really calms my nerves. It's been a rough night," she edited.

Interestingly, Danielle wasn't even upset about Emily smoking or even the affinity with which she described it. Oddly enough, watching her daughter so obviously filled with satisfaction and happiness--regardless of the fact it that was the cigarette providing it--brought her a little bit of joy. There was no question Danielle was out of her depth when it came to the problems Emily was...