Redsand Canyon dunefruit

Tamar smiled, though Towhee saw the lines of stress in her fair features. She hoped she’d struck a good balance, providing knowledge without ramping up the young woman’s fear. But she couldn’t be sure she’d succeeded.

Although she internally cringed at the term “husband,” Towhee didn’t bother correcting Tamar, nor would she refute it when others used it, as she knew they would. Terms like that seemed to be unique to Mereo’s vernacular.

No, thank you, she replied with a dip of her head, intuiting that she would depart now. My door’s always open if you ever want to talk more, she added.