Broken Antler Fen Let your arms be a place she feels safe in

She smiled as he mentioned Finley, and that he was fine being right here.  She wasn't one hundred percent convinced she believed it entirely, but Maia trusted that he'd tell her if it wasn't the case.  He seemed tired, and stressed still, but he also did seem happy.  And that was the part that she was convinced to focus on for now.

My mom did too, I think, back when she still led.  I think my dad was a homebody though.  He never really left or talked about traveling.  Osprey had had too many stories and too many friends to have ever really stayed in one place without roving, and Maia had always admired that and wanted to have the same.  But, thinking back, Dante had never really had many stories from places he hadn't lived, or from before he met mom even.  I guess her stories were enough.  She hadn't talked much about them with Eljay, she realized, even though their parents had apparently been close friends at one point.  

She didn't doubt Penn would stick around at least a while longer since he seemed in no rush to leave.   She couldn't imagine Eljay changing that and, honestly, the chance didn't even cross her mind.  If anything, having his brother here should give him more incentive to stay!