Sun Mote Copse But if I can make it to the street

It warmed Niamh's heart to see how casual and appraising Phox was being of Nellie- and it made her just want to squish the two together and see how happy they could all be as a family. Bronco was missing, as were Fennec and Figment, but this, this gave her some hope. When she turned her attention to Nellie, who she'd expected to glow under the praise, she found her daughter somewhat bewildered, and she could only assume that maybe she was just a teenage girl made awkward by compliments. Completely natural. "Nah- and no thanks, Nellie...We just had a snack just before you got here," She explained to Phox, even though she did pause to think that maybe, if she sent her daughter off for a snack, then she and Phox could have some time alone together....

...But it was more important, she told herself, to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit, and an important part of that was having Nellie and Bronco (and by extension, Figment and Fennec) accept Phox (and also, of course, Towhee) into their family. The kids would already have known how much Niamh cared for Phox and Towhee...But this could change things. This was adding a lot, for both families, and not replacing, though she herself even felt and had questioned how right it was to do that. It had been Phox who had made her realize that it was possible and natural. 

"I was just telling Nellie that we all need to go for a pack hunt soon, and track down a deer or something," She said. "Then we can get all the kids in on the action," She said, silently hoping to infer that Fennec and Figment should be a part of it as well, so they could finally get both families all in one big activity together.