Redhawk Caldera Take your fears and let them go

It couldn't be as easy as that. Teya had loved him and been willing to spend a year at his side for the sake of her daughter. Bridget couldn't know what was in her friend's mind but she understood something of love. When Reyes returned (and he would, she was sure, if he was able to) things could be complicated again. The only way to untangle those knots was through time or through conversation. It was pretty clear that Teya didn't feel the need for the latter, though, and Bridget wasn't willing to press. She hoped that she was wrong.

Then her thoughts were sent in a million different directions. I said yes.

Bridget could own up to the immediate jealousy that rose in her hearing that, and the gut-wrenching feeling of loss that despite a promise of a year, Teya was apparently ready to move on. Just... not with her. Maybe a year had been an excuse all along. The thought was petty, and with a swift mental kick she dismissed it. This confirmed something else she'd wondered instead.

Teya didn't ask for what she wanted, if Bridget was that thing. She took what she was given and, at the end of the day, that wasn't something Bridget could live with. She wouldn't risk being something another would simply settle for.

Oh. She debated, thought about how to respond, and considered simply congratulating her. She changed her mind when she realized how tired she was of leaving so many things between them unsaid. I don't know him all that well, but from what I've seen, he seems nice. If you think there's something there then I'm happy for you.

My feelings haven't changed. I thought you needed time to figure things out, but I meant it when I said I loved you. I want what you do with that to be your choice, though. She smiled and shrugged, as much to diffuse her own tension as to hopefully put Teya more at ease. If this thing with Bronco is what you want, then you should try it. I won't promise to wait, seeing as I am a hell of a catch, but... I want you to be sure. Either way. Her gaze, as it caught her friend's, was sincere in that moment. She thought she'd made it clear, before, what she wanted - but now she wondered if something had been missed. Was Bronco just an excuse to not have to be alone? Or did Teya truly feel something between them, something more than what Bridget thought she'd sensed in the meadow? Laying out the cards was worth it if it helped her to know.