Stone Circle I'm still here

Her mother asked her to confirm what Murdock said, and Steph shrugged. Not in those exact words, she admitted. He said that I was his only friend, and that he needed more, she added. She felt like he said she wasn't enough, especially when he went as far as to bring a female into the pack solely to be his companion. She made a noncommittal sound when Valette said that Murdock said he missed her. Why would he? He had Poppy now.

Her mother seemed to backtrack on how she had treated Poppy on the borders of Easthollow. Her ears shifted back on her head, showing a slight displeasure at her mother's words. Why do I have to prove it to him? What was this notion about proving oneself to someone else? Why did she have to go out of her way to show Murdock something she had been showing him her whole life?