Phoenix Maplewood can't feel my face

Silence was her only reply. Nevertheless, the absence of a response spoke far more than words ever could. His brow furrowed and he exhaled slowly with a twinge of disappointment. Reek turned his head and looked upon the pup— his warm smile began to droop into a frown. She was a lost cause; he knew that, but she was still his to take care of no matter what.

"You're not happy here are you?" he asked. The answer was self-evident, but he wanted to hear it himself. He needed to. Whatever his shortcomings were, he needed to know so he could correct them. Especially, for the ever-nearing day when fatherhood would became a much more pressing and important issue.