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"Mom, you can't be serious."
Robin looked up from the ring in her hands; surely she'd rubbed her thumb over the tricolor gems set in the band enough times to wear them down by now.
"I'm just looking at it, Mar-"
"Is this what he would want?"
There was pain in Marian's voice, pain that matched the tightness that wrapped its arms around Robin's chest like a vice-- For a moment, the two women just looked at each other, silence settling discordantly between them.
"Does David know? Or Wally? Did you even bother to tell the Society? Because I don't think Josie knew, and you hired him--"
"No, they-- I didn't tell anyone. I don't even know how you kn-"
"I'm your kid. Of course I'd find out."
She couldn't argue with that, not really; she almost had to laugh.
"Mom... I miss him too. I miss that I'll never really get to know him like you guys did-- I miss that the only time I got to know my dad was when he was a rat, and I didn't even know he was my dad until... Less than a year ago. But... I don't know if he'd want you to just--"
"Be selfish?"
Marian's brow furrowed a bit, but there was no anger knitted amongst them- Just concern.
"Don't be like that. I mean I don't think he'd want you to risk everything he risked himself for. You guys may be idiots-"
"Marian-"
"But even I don't think he'd want that. He risked himself for us-- For all of us, mom. And I don't think he'd want to watch that all be undone just because he might get to come back."
Again, silence filled the room, but this time, Marian just shook her head, pulling her bag back onto her shoulder. "I'm off to visit Jani. Just... Don't be stupid, please. At least let's talk to the boys first, okay?" Lips pressed to Robin's head as she was enveloped in Marian's warm hug, returning it by wrapping her arms tightly around her only daughter. "Dinner at David's tonight, anyways-- I think Wally said he might be able to visit."
Watching as Marian left, Robin sighed softly, her attention turning back to the ring in her palm.
Three wishes. She knew the nature of them, had learned the steps behind the spell, how it generally only affected recent events-- And, well... New Year's Eve 2018 wasn't exactly recent, was it? But... There was a possibility it would work despite the length of time that had passed. The danger behind it was just that much more exponential, more likely to cause more harm than good, or else not grant the wish at all.
It was too risky, Robin knew Marian was right.
But... But.
Then again...