Stone Circle I'm not crying; I'm just allergic to jerks

A small twinge of something like anger bloomed within him as Valette described Pema. She was very nice. Then how come she had never looked for her children? Why had he been forced to grow up without a mother? Timberlake figured that if she wasn't actually dead somewhere, then she was dead to him—there were no excuses beyond her bones in a grave.

Oh, he said hopefully at the mention of his sister. . .and then let his face fall again when he realized that meant she was likely missing, still. If she wasn't at Whitebark— It's okay. I understand. Thank you for trying, at least. He let his shoulders rise and fall in a resigned shrug. And for telling me about my parents. I don't remember much about them. My dad died in the big fire, and my mom disappeared sometime after that.

He'd found other mother and father figures along the way. There had been no other choice.