Actually it started way earlier. When she and Gunther became study buddies and she admitted that she hated being in college, because she was incapable of making friends and the classes were too difficult. It was Gunther who helped her evolve and then supported her when she had that crisis with her father.
I fear they are still alive and might show up one day. Making lil Annie no longer an orphan. Honestly, I wouldn’t be happy about it.