Wheeling Gull Isle Life’s a beach.

-“I’ll miss you too. I love you both more than I could ever possibly articulate,”- Towhee replied.

Most of the time, she would lighten the serious mood with a bit of lightheartedness, maybe a joke or two. But she maintained a sober expression as she gathered them into a hug again, holding them close to her heart. Towhee might’ve clung to them awhile, though she reminded herself that this entire conversation was about independence and letting go, so she slipped away after a moment.

She didn’t go far. If they were joining the others and leaving imminently, Towhee wanted to soak up these last hours with her kids. Yes, she would still see them as often as possible, though this would change everything. They would belong less to her than to each other and their village.

-“You two remind me of Phox and me,”- she voiced the earlier thought aloud. -“We’ve stuck together our whole lives. Sometimes we’d be apart but we always found our way back to each other. I guess now we’ll be separated again, though he could always decide to come with me. On that note, if you two ever feel like it, you’re welcome to join me on the road anytime. I mean that. Just ‘cause I won’t have a door won’t mean it’s not always open to you.”-

With that established, it was finally time to lift and lighten the mood a bit. Towhee looked around at the nearby mangroves and tide pools. She wouldn’t, though she could easily imagine just staying here forever. If she’d thought the vale was paradise once, it paled in comparison to this place.

-“I vote we have a beach day. I say we plunder the tide pools, find some souvenirs you can take back to Moonspear with you. But what would you guys like to do?”-