Event Finished Having a Crisis

"There are a lot of things people don't know," Valli said softly. Even without his powers, his voice tended to be calming. He spoke like he knew what he knew what he was talking about, even when he wasn't sure, and people picked up on that. "But you live on a magic island, filled with the best and brightest. Filled with aliens and gods and time travelers. And all of them are focused on curing it. I can't bring myself to believe that they'll all fail."

Valli listened quietly as Chloe explained--probably unintentionally at least in part--what was going on with her daughter. He nodded along even if she couldn't see him, and he waited until she stopped talking before responding.

"You won't be ashamed of her. You might act like it, but that won't be you. It would be the illness talking, not something you choose. It's the choices you make which matter, not the way your life takes you."

"You did," Valli said reassuringly, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt as he spoke. It was sort of nice, being able to do what he pleased while on the phone, but old habits were hard to break.

"I am sure," Valli said, "that your memories will return in time. Actually erasing your memories would necessitate brain damage that would be obvious in large amounts. What is happening is that your brain is either not interpreting the signals it gets correctly, or else the recall is being blocked. Either one can be worked around, and even if your memories do not magically return the moment the virus is gone, the human brain is a wonderful thing. It will connect what was once connected, and you will remember. It will simply take time, and in the meanwhile, you will have your notes and your letters, and you will make new memories with your daughter."

Valli smiled, even if Chloe couldn't see it through the phone.

"That is a very silly worst case scenario to focus on, Chloe," Valli pointed out. "Even if the memory loss is permanent--which I doubt--you would still have your notes. You would lose no information, because you've gone out of your way to write it all down."

Focusing on the negative--because that was what it was--was something that could be worked around.

"It's a trying, stressful time for everyone. But knowing you, I'm sure your daughter is that much more aware of how much you care for her. You would hardly be talking to me like this if you hadn't already told her a dozen times how much she means to you."