Redhawk Caldera She's got an appetite for lightin' dynamite

There was soon a presence at Elwood's shoulder, and he looked back to see Eljay standing there. Just the sight of his son brought a smile to the Beta's face. He looked older than he acted -- long legs, large paws, and oversized ears were the trademarks of growing up, but he was still very much a child. "Mommy says you gotta smile," Eljay instructed him, and Elwood's gaze slipped past the grey-furred youth to land on his mate's shadowed face.

It was easier said than done, especially since he hadn't seen a real smile touch Finley's face since before she left. She tried these days, but it never quite reached her eyes. Even now, her expression was pensive and dark, and she carefully kept the injured side of her facade hidden from view.

Elwood looked back at Eljay, the corners of his lips pulling upward ever so slightly. "You gotta smile, too," he quipped, reaching out with a forepaw to poke at Eljay's ribs. In the back of his mind, he wondered how long they would all go on pretending that everything was okay.