Part 3, in a series of 3

PERUGIA, Italy -- Outside the prison, the Italian press is relentless.

Amanda Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, says it's become an all-too-familiar drill. She stops to address the reporters.

"Amanda is doing as well as can be expected right now. She is sure, as the investigation continues, the truth will come out and she'll be proven innocent," she said.

Inside the Capanne prison, the visits never last long enough, and Knox is never ready to let her parents go.

"When they come and say 'it's time,' she says, 'No!'" Mellas said.

"Her back is always to the door and whenever they come in, she just cringes," said her father, Curt Knox.

But Curt says his daughter worries more about how her family is handling it than she does about herself.

"If she's able to stay positive," Mellas starts to say, but breaks down into tears. "I'm sorry," she said.

Convinced of her innocence, the family has never missed a visiting hour.

"She has her ups and downs. There are days that are horrible. She cries and she's extremely upset," Mellas said. "But for the most part, she's made a conscious decision -- 'if I have to be here, I'm going to make the best of it."'

"Even now, while she is in prison, she's using the time to study. She's studying her languages," Curt said.

Amanda's parents say she's studying five or six languages, corresponding with her professors at the University of Washington.

She's also learning to play the guitar, and the former Seattle Prep soloist is giving concerts, even taking song requests from inmates and guards.

"She sang an Italian song about freedom, of all things," Mellas said.

The Beatles' "Let It Be" has become Amanda's mantra, her way of coping, Mellas said, coping with the anguish of being imprisoned when she knows she's innocent.

Amanda's fate is up to one judge who can either dismiss the charges or make Amanda stand trial.

"If it's evidence based, 100 percent -- she'll be coming home," said Curt.

However, given the tremendous international interest, Curt is bracing for the worst. He says his attorneys have told him to expect the case to go to trial.

"The immense amount of pressure this guy is going to have...he's going to force it to trial on any one of the individual charges that are out there," he said.

Italian tabloids paint Amanda as an American gone wild. Curt accuses authorities of leaking quotes from Amanda, twisted and out of context, to fuel press reports supporting the prosecution.

Amanda's parents don't have any confidence that things will happen as they are supposed to.

"Based on how information has, either one of two ways, either been leaked to the press or flat made up by the press and how that affects public opinion in the fact that it's totally painted a picture that is not the right picture," Curt said.

Meanwhile, the tabloids repeat the sordid tale that Meredith Kercher was killed when she refused to take part in a drug-fueled orgy with Amanda, her Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, and a third suspect, Rudy Guede.

Sollecito recently sent Amanda nine yellow roses on her 21st birthday. Observers speculate it's a sign the pair's lawyers may be working together on their defense.

The card accompanying the flowers read, "'hopefully, soon the truth will come out,"' Curt said. Despite the gift, Amanda's parents don't believe the two are still hoping to be romantically involved.

"This thing has torn everything apart," Curt said.

If the judge decides Amanda's case should go to trial, it most likely won't begin until late December or January. And once it starts, it could take another six to nine months.

Amanda will most likely remain in prison until the end of the trial. Her attorneys are working to get her placed on house arrest, but have not made much progress.