Hushed Willows it's in the lap of the gods

she allows him to join her, kindly as always. her question brings an uneasy laugh out of him (really, isn't his status something of a joke by now? it should be), but he is genuine when he answers, "it's okay." he's making it work and that has to count for something, probably. 

sheepishly he adds, "sorry i've been, uh, sort of avoidant lately. it's a bad habit of mine when ... things aren't going well." an understandable one, or so he's been told, but it doesn't make it less of a burden on the wolves around him and he knows that. sometimes knowing that isn't enough to stop him, like watching yourself crash the car in an out of body experience. but he figures apologies never hurt, nor does actually trying, when he can manage it. enough about him! "how have you been?"