Sun Mote Copse time is a revelator;

There was part of her that felt stung by the implicit rejection in his admission. She was suddenly savagely glad she'd never acted on her notions, novel as they were. But that sourness quickly faded as she realized what he'd just confessed so frankly to her. Towhee blinked as if she hadn't expected a response as blunt as her own question; she really hadn't.

But then she smiled, despite herself and how sad these developments made her on some level. -"You know, I think she loves you too,"- she said slowly. -"Do you know what she did to me when she found out I'd slept with you?"- Towhee teased rhetorically, letting out an unattractive snort.

Then her face settled back into more of a contemplative expression. -"I appreciate you telling me,"- she said, which went for the goodbye as well as the truthful nature of his loyalty. -"Take good care of her. I still don't think she should be going anywhere in her shape but she insists it's what she really wants. And..."- Towhee paused. -"If you two are going to run off to the horizon together, you should tell her how you feel, wife her and all that gross romantic shit."-