Heron Lake Plateau And you know dogs, they need ample time outside

When going through her mental bullets, she had obviously dismissed the likes of Elwood and Quixote, since they were far from eligible bachelors. But Towhee realized her mistake when Niamh blurted the identity of her crush. The Beta blinked several times in quick succession as this information processed. She felt a disapproving look beginning to form on her face, though she quickly schooled her expression. Niamh couldn't help who she liked, only how she behaved about her feelings.

And as she sat there, continuing to digest the news, Towhee's defensiveness (that was her sister's baby daddy, dude) subsided and she found herself feeling bad for the Delta. "Ah, I see the problem now," Towhee concurred, then swiftly let Niamh know, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." She paused. "That really sucks though. You're not stupid. It's not like you can help how you feel," she reasoned. "It's how you act that matters. I know Quixote would never betray my sister and it's not like you're a homewrecker—right?" Okay, she'd meant that rhetorically, mostly, but she found herself squinting again.