Northstar Vale hold out for june

oops this got long-winded with the thoughts

still he worried. meadow had quickly proved to be a skilled healer, aquene was only a call away. still. but all he could do was trust her, like he frequently did.

so he settled into silence for the brief part between words shared. he did his best to imagine her fully mended as he had taken for granted so many times before. how lively epoch would be when she could simply be towhee, freely, throughout the vale. this of course made him imagine jack, yelling and crashing through the woods. followed closely by leo.

it was not hard to imagine life in epoch, he realized.

here their family would blossom and grow in ways it could not in mereo.

he wanted to hush her apologies, to assure a going away party could still be had. even if they had already gone. but there was something there that felt more important. even if it had been fleeting. a pet name. not like hubby and wifey they nonchalantly joked about.

this had come freely and without effort or humor.

she would more than likely read the softening of emotions on his face. how this last near year suddenly felt like a lifetime. how he realized they had seen so much. together.

now they retired their proverbial swords, after only but a year. at peace (somewhat, at least) with the mark left upon mereo.

he would do it all over again and again and again. if ever given the chance.

-i love you, towhee.-

he could not tear his gaze away from her in the next passing moments.