"You're kidding me - you still don't know the damn alphabet? All those hours you spent practicing martial arts and you can't spare the time to learn your #*$% ABCs? For God's sake Cassie, how stupid can you be?" had been the words which Barbara had practically snarled at Cassandra. Words that Barbara wished more than anything that she could take back.

Cassandra has been raised without the ability to use language in any form by her father David Cain. And even if Cass could now speak, learning to read and write was a slow, slow... slow process; especially since she only started learning at the late age of 17. Recently Cass' progress had been stalling... and Barbara had gotten increasingly frustrated.

It didn't help that Barbara placed such a high intrinsic value on literature and learning. But in the end it was no excuse... Barbara had spoken in anger, and she had been viciously insulting, and she had hurt a girl who'd already suffered so much.

Barbara had felt guilty immediately once the words left her mouth, but the damage was already done. And she kept trying to apologise until Cass eventually left without response, the pain and anger evident in her demeanour.

"I screwed up..." muttered Barbara, some days later after Cass once again refused her calls and attempts to apologise. "I have never screwed up this badly, and probably I never will."

Cass was like a surrogate little sister or even daughter to her. And so the fact Barbara had allowed her pride and impatience to hurt her... a girl who placed so much trust and love in her, brought her no end of shame.

As someone approached her, Barbara wiped her tears and straightened her glasses, before pushing her wheelchair to face whoever it was.