Sun Mote Copse The corner bar, it just seemed right so I pulled up

It was tough to motivate himself to do anything, and whenever he did, it was all completely focused on his children. Eljay would feed them and play with them, though it was hard to put his heart into it. He knew with every thing he did that they knew that he was unhappy, and not matter how hard he tried to grasp onto everything, it was simply too much to hold on his own two shoulders. Even the tiniest pebble right now felt like an impossible thing to lift up and carry, and Eljay was continuously torn between grief for losing the love of his life, which he had only just really found in that way, and guilt for not taking better care of his children.

Everyone was gone for the moment, which left Eljay feeling both at peace and even more anxious. But his children deserved some happiness and he was pretty sure his parents were better at giving them that than he was right now. When he heard Colt's voice Eljay's stomach twisted nervously. Interacting with anyone had become difficult now that his anxiety reigned supreme, ever since Wiffle's death.

Hi Uncle Colt, Eljay said politely as uncle Colt poked his head into the den, though he had no idea how to even respond to the question posed. How's it shaking was probably something like how are you and how are you was the one question that made Eljay want to burst into a million tears and just burrow his face in a pile of mud or flowers, whichever was nearest. He managed to keep it together fairly well, lifting his head with twitching lips, though no answer came. Because he had no answer. None that anyone wanted to hear, anyway.