Firefly Glen Return service requested.

The world around her faded momentarily as Towhee’s eyes fixed on Fennec’s lips. She hung on every word out of her daughter’s mouth and tried to pay close attention to the shifts in her expression too. There was an air of resignation about her, for sure.

Towhee would love to pick Killdeer’s brain about his change of heart, though she saved that thought for later. Fen inevitably shoved the spotlight over to her mother, the casualness of her question causing a little stitch in her chest. That was right, those two had missed the birth.

This won’t matter one bit to you but I totally shat out a perfect miniature. She’s called Towhee Jr. There’s Sable too. They’re with me, actually. We’re hunkered down in The Heartwood for a few days so we can visit with all of you… mountaineers.

That was meant as a playful joke, of course, but it came out sounding strained as Towhee finally prepared to steer the conversation into dark waters. She drew in a breath through her mouth, then exhaled noisily through her nose.

We’re also here because I needed to get away. Maxim poofed into thin air a couple weeks back. I searched for a few days but there was nothing. Just nothing.

There was a lot more she could say—almost all of it speculative—but Towhee just didn’t want to get into it. She did give Fennec a moment to process, though as soon as the news sank in, Towhee hoped to flip back to her kids. Maybe Fennec could come with her to meet them.