Blacktail Deer Plateau iii. time flies

I will.

Grayday let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, and a weight he'd carried for too long began to ease. She would see him, and they might not make up this time, but at least they would have the chance. He wanted his children to be closer than they were now before he died, and if there was anything he'd learned since coming to the Teekon Wilds, it was that any day could be your last.

"Thank you," he said with feeling, giving her a fond nuzzle. He didn't know if he'd ever forgive himself, if he failed his children in this way. One day he would be gone, and he'd have to count on them to take care of each other. Dawn, he knew, was up to the job where her younger siblings were concerned, whether or not she knew it. Grayday trusted that, if something were to happen to him, she'd keep them safe and fed until they were old enough to take care of themselves. But his children all had different strengths, and he hoped that Sunny would be there sharing his compassion with them as well.

He still couldn't help but be slightly more fond of the child that was present. Perhaps because he saw how much she grew each day. "I'm so proud of you, Dawn," he sighed, his tail thumping behind him as he regarded his eldest daughter. "You've turned into such a reliable, strong-hearted woman. I feel a little bit better about what I've done with my life every time I look at you."