Blacktail Deer Plateau With the lights down low

Grayday gave his wife a dry, are-you-done-yet look as she went on her tirade. Obviously there were going to be times when he wasn't exactly pleased with her. That was life. But he was sure he could do the same things and still be able to count on her, even if she was spitting mad. Catori was honorable like that.

"You know what I mean," he insisted. "Disappointed, yes. I'll give you that one. I'm going to disappoint you sometimes, too. But we'll make it. That's what I mean. We're a team, and we've got this handled, even if you go bald or I lose an eye or something crazy like that."

He gave her a tiny smile and licked her muzzle, keeping his face close to hers as he gathered his thoughts. He wanted to say more about how she obviously wasn't going to be a terrible mother, and that, at the very least, she'd be quite adequete, but that didn't seem to be the thing to say to your wife. "I've got your back," he said at last. "We'll get through it, and we'll get our imaginary babies through it, too."

His ears turned back at the new direction the conversation took. He didn't, as a rule, enjoy thinking or speaking of Amber or Khoe, but he also didn't feel any need to stop Catori from bringing it up. He agreed with her assessment anyway - it didn't make a lick of sense. His love for his children was so deep and profound and pure. He couldn't imagine ever abandoning them when they needed him, even when they made him angry. Even when their mother had made him angry, he hadn't considered leaving them behind for even a second. Instead, he'd committed himself to Khoe and her vindictive moods for what he'd thought would be life. It'd been a pain, but what else could he have done?

And in Catori, he'd found a kindred spirit. It warmed him to have such fierce loyalty directed at him, but even more so to have it directed at his child. "I fall more in love with you every day," said the male, burying his face in Catori's thick scarf. She might never surpass Pema and Dawn enough to take the place of mother in the kids' eyes, but Grayday knew that she'd make a damn fine one. "We're all lucky to have you, Catori. Any cubs you bring into the world will be just as blessed."