Fox's Glade something in the way

He had half expected her to recoil and chase him off. Or beg that he go ahead and do the deed. Instead, she agreed with him, and Phox relaxed. It felt foreign, but not in an unpleasant way. Sanja spoke of a daughter, one who was no longer here with her. Phox knew that feeling well, though he had come to terms with his kids dispersing over the years.

There was a tension in the air, though not as palpable as before. Having said the words aloud made Phox more confident in his ability to resist temptation. He would have to. Not just for her sake, but for Towhee’s, too.

I have lots of sons and daughters, he revealed. I am phother now to my sister’s children; their dad is missing. Phox still held hope that Maxim would return. In what state, he could not say. He could not think that the man would leave his family behind willingly.