Dragoncrest Cliffs brekvirki

as soon as the spotlight settled on her, mireille bit the inside of her jaw, worried her lip. she shook her head sharply, trying to avoid meerkat's eye. but for the first time it had been addressed, and her emerald eyes felt pressure behind them. 
the obsidian swallowed. "it be hard." the admission came just as roughly. "but not as hard as it be for you an' de little ones, meerkat."
mireille reached to brush the other's cheek with her own. "we must stick toget'er, yes?" she meant to be reassuring, but her stepmother's loss was reflected for a moment in her unguarded green eyes.