Firefly Glen Return service requested.

Yeah, that’s fine. Fennec couldn’t help wondering if her mom actually meant it, because Fennec had absolutely wanted (and needed) to talk about Bronco at the time. The smart thing would have been to say that, but instead she’d done the opposite, self-destructing all over the Caldera in a mess that seemed to keep paying her back.

She had to assume her mom was smarter than that. It wasn’t hard to be.

I can. She shifted uncomfortably, then figured as long as they were being honest, no use hiding that one either. She might have said it before, but fuck it, Towhee asked every year and every year Fennec felt like shit for letting it pass. At least an explanation would mean they’d know it was her damage and not them. I’ve been shit about it for a while, I know. It’s just hard, wanting something and knowing everyone else gets it but you. It’s not a good excuse, but it just reminds me. Every year it’s worse.

She didn’t want to get into it, since her issues were long-standing and Towhee’s were worse and way more recent. She’d been barely a sister to any of her siblings aside from Fig, and after what she did to him? She didn’t expect she even had that.

Meerkat’s probably better company. We could always call her, Fennec thought a little sardonically. If Towhee wanted to focus on the positive, her elder daughter was probably not the best bet.