Golden Glade Got a heart like a neon sign

As his mother approached, Breccan's heart leapt into his throat. His pulse quickened and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He was sure of what he wanted to do, and even felt a little spark of excitement at the thought of embarking on this new adventure, but he was fearful of disappointing his parents. It was now or never, though, and he smiled as Liffey touched her nose to his cheek.

She was perceptive; rather than simply say hello, she greeted him by asking if everything was all right. How to answer that question? "Yes" and "no" were both appropriate, but neither gave enough insight as to the complicated emotions he had been experiencing. So he shook his head gently, while simultaneously saying, "Yeah."

He couldn't help but give a soft chuckle at his own contradiction, then cleared his throat to clarify. "I mean -- kind of. I -- well, I want to leave the pack and go off on my own. Go find my friends and figure out my life," he said. It felt like ripping off a band-aid, but it had all rushed out before he could second guess it, and he supposed maybe it was better this way.