Bearclaw Valley sunshine, through the rain and snow

What Indra said hit home hard, for it was exactly what hurt Laurel the most. She just wanted to be treated right. She felt like a piece of garbage, used and then discarded. He even knew how she felt now but it changed nothing about the situation. He wanted to be better, maybe, but he could not because he chose his mate instead of Laurel. And there was no value to Laurel in him proclaiming he wished to improve when he had nothing to offer in the current situation. Trying wasn't good enough.

"I know," she murmured. "I wish we could do something now, too. It sucks to have to be patient. But this isn't forever." Laurel mirrored the feelings that it wasn't a good place to be in, that they needed to get to a better place -- or improve this one considerably.

want to fade this soon since we already got a newer thread? :)