Helena painting a portrait of her mother and their conversation. Lyrics below:

Her Mother:

I was nine
Mother was dying from consumption
My aunt was nursing her
There was a fireplace spark that caught her dress
My uncle tried to help
They both died of their burns two days later
Mother was dead in a month
And Grandfather didn’t come home any more

Helena:

I’m sorry
I cannot live in your grief
I cannot live in your pain, your loneliness
I cannot live in your disappointment
I don’t want your life

Her Mother:

I was fourteen
Everyone was dead but the Commodore
He wanted to marry me, I said yes
We sailed to help the starving Irish with food
And lost a lot of our money
The US Government didn’t want to pay us
Papa died, you were three
Your brothers Drake and George, raised you, not I

Helena:

I’m sorry
I cannot live in your grief
I cannot live in your pain, your loneliness
I cannot live in your disappointment
I don’t want your life

Her Mother:

I was forty
I am disappointed my daughter
Why would you forget
Your Christian education to behave
With Minnie as you have this term
You are doing a wrong and dangerous thing
In your passion for this girl
Bring everything home because you’ll not return

Helena:

Mother
That was twenty years ago
I cannot live in your pain, your loneliness
I cannot live in your disappointment
I don’t want your life