Heron Lake Plateau Just smell with your eyes

Teensy bit of PP toward the end -- hope ya don't mind. If so, just throw a shoe at me! :P

She listened as he spoke, understanding where he was coming from even if she didn't wholly agree with it. It wasn't that he didn't have a point -- because he did -- but it was just that it all seemed a little pointless to dwell on things that might have been. But then again, she had told him to talk to her and that was what he was doing, so she listened openly and didn't judge or interrupt him. Now wasn't the time for her opinions or speculations. She still stood firmly behind her belief that none of this had been his fault. Sure, he might have been able to prevent it from happening, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. He couldn't be by her side 24/7. But she knew that his devotion to his family -- to her -- was a core part of the foundation that made him who he was. And no amount of reasoning to the contrary would ever change his perspective, would ever make him feel any less responsible than he felt now.

To his final words, she just nodded and leaned in to affectionately nuzzle his cheek. That needed no confirmation or response: she knew his dedication to her safety and the safety of their children went without saying. Several silent moments passed before she began to slow her pace and eventually came to a stop, her eyes lingering on his feet as a thoughtful expression overtook her features. Something was on her mind, something she'd wanted to talk with him about for a while, but the moment had never seemed right. And while, on the surface, this seemed like the perfectly wrong time to bring it up, perhaps it was exactly what they needed to talk about just now. Perhaps it was precisely the opportunity Qui needed to get it right this time. As her mate turned to look at her questioningly, she caught his lambent green eyes and said in a soft voice barely above a whisper, "We could try again?"