Sun Mote Copse Record scratch, freeze frame.

It was a hawk, though it wasn't X. It disappeared over the copse's treetops and Towhee was left to stare off at the sea of trunks stretching as far as the eye could see, fighting an ache in her chest. She fidgeted as she waited. It took a while, though a familiar golden silhouette finally appeared from the literal woodwork. Towhee had slumped onto her haunches a while back, though she rose now to receive her old friend.

There was something almost droopy about Niamh, literally and figuratively. At her self-deprecating comment, Towhee bit her tongue and studied her friend for a moment. She could have been selfishly glad she'd come into motherhood without this particular sacrifice, though instead the sight of her friend's motherly figure actually made her heart feel like a cold stone. Towhee's body would never look like that because she couldn't have children of her own.

But that made her think of Fig and Fen and she couldn't stay sad. Resisting the urge to joke on Niamh's choices (for they wouldn't entirely be jokes, would they?), Towhee said instead, "You're a momshell, Niamh," and rolled her eyes. "I'm happy for you." So, yes, it was a little hard to say, yet there it was. She even coaxed her mouth into a small smile. "We'll have to arrange a play date sometime," she added with a mischievous glint in her flamed eyes.

Random note: I had to edit out references to X based on how a previous thread unfolded. I also back-dated this by 24 hours. Hope that's all cool!