The Tangle Meet me out by the fire escape

Ashlar knew that there was a good chance he would never meet his children, deciding this. It felt selfish to make them miss him, to even chance that. Wasn't it better if they felt as if they were missing nothing? Maybe she would tell them and, when that time came, they'd be curious enough to wish to know him. Maybe she never would.

It made him sad to think of it, but it felt worse, that he might be the reason they thought they weren't good enough. They deserved a parent, and family, that could show them nothing came first. Just like Mama and Baba had done for him.

He would keep that pain silently and hope, one day, he could tell them himself. When she asked, he finally looked up, his expression grateful. He'd wanted that all along but wasn't sure it was something she would now accept. I'd... yeah. If that's.. if it's okay. His tail swayed a couple of times hopefully, but given the circumstances, it was hard to be fully enthusiastic. He would need time to accept fully the way things would be, but at least the guilt and choice of it no longer ate him from the inside.

His eyes glowed with relief that she was not angry, and seemed willing to give their friendship a chance.