Heron Lake Plateau Cast aside for new and more

The advice she was given was not what Liffey wanted to hear. Her kids were simply too young and too inexperienced to be allowed to make that choice on their own. Her youngest truly were, arguably. Her oldest, though, were only too young in her own mind. But she was a mother and a mother's children would always be too young to be away. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Liffey didn't actually hear a word Gannet said. She was too wrapped up in her own heartache to hear anything but her own self-pitying thoughts.

"Rannoch says we just need to give them time to adjust," she said after a moment, feeling ever so slightly calmer, "This is just new to them and they need to adjust. They'll... They'll settle down once they get to know the place better. Once they make new friends and..." She shook her head as her thoughts became jumbled once more. "It'll be okay," she said, looking at Gannet to confirm with an expression that plainly said she didn't entirely believe what she had just said, but that she was determined to convince herself of it since it was what she needed to do in order to not fall apart entirely.

Her friend stayed a while to console her, and eventually, her misery subsided and they were able to speak amicably. They parted with promises on their on tongues to visit again soon, but Liffey wasn't so sure how valid those works would prove to be. But that just seemed to be the nature of their relationships--their closeness ebbed and flowed, but their affection for one another never wavered. All she could do, as always, was wish him well and hope to see him again soon.