Worried that cat family became separated

I trapped/neutered/released a mom and one of her kittens the other day with the help of the Humane Society. When I let them go, the mom bolted and the kitten chased after her. She had one other kitten which I did not capture, possibly two (originally there were three total, but I believe one was killed recently due to an unidentifiable furry lacquer on a street nearby). Today, the mom is on my patio, walking slowly, crossing into the neighbor's patio under the fence, crying.

She's obviously not in heat (could spaying cause similar symptoms temporarily?), and her kittens were old enough to be on their own, definitely. But I'm worried that something happened - the kitten hid somewhere he got stuck, or the other kitten that I didn't capture went missing and the mom still can't find it.

She just came by again, still crying. I feel really terrible. Will they find each other again? Would the kitten I didn't catch have wandered off in the 12 hours his mom was gone? Would the other kitten have run too far away in its fright and not be able to find its way home?

Hoping for the best, and sending *vibes!*

Good luck!

I've TNR'd quite a few feral cats and in my experience it's quite common for them to dash off and hide for a few days. Usually they come back after around 48 hours but one young male I had fixed was gone for over a week. They're probably still out there, I bet the Moma cat knows where they are even if you don't.

Do you have a trail camera? You could leave some food out over night with the camera set up close by to see if they come to eat. The Moma cat is probably feeling uncomfortable and disorientated after her surgery, that's probably why she is wandering around crying. Did the vet give you any pain meds for her?

Thank you for getting them TNR'd, it really is the best thing for them and will make their lives a lot easier in the long run.