Mudminnow River and the smell of the ground

Heartha's ears pinned back. This was a talk that perhaps her father should have with her, not a stranger. Heartha would let Day give Dawn the death talk. Till then, she would have to try to explain without mentioning that word. "It's....complicated." That was the best she could put it.

"No, it wasn't like that..." She sighed, stopping for a moment in the rain. "Some mothers might not be ready. And some...they can't do anything but leave. Sometimes they have to leave, whether we want it or not." She wasn't exactly sure if Eden had wanted to leave or not. All she knew was that she fell. She felt one of her eyes get teary, and she was glad it was the eye opposite of Dawn.