Shadewood two hearts, too hard

It’s okay to let yourself miss them.

Truth be told, Matteo thought often of them. Though he hadn’t fully understood what had been happening at the time, he did have plenty of fond memories, blurry as they were. When they came to mind these days he only hoped that they had found happiness, wherever they were; the idea of missing them when life without them had become so normal was almost foreign to the boy.

“I…” he began, eyes glued glumly to his paws as they neared the familiar sound of the river. “I don’ miss ‘em. They’re happy out there. I know it.” Not quite a lie, but not quite the truth either. Matteo gives his pelt a shake and takes a deep breath as Boone resumes his rambling.

Kicked the bucket? “So, your mama and papa, they’re…” Gone? Dead? Never coming back, like his. But that was normal…right? Except Boone never had an Isuel, never had someone to teach him anything. “H-how’d ya do it? Without ‘em, I mean.” As sheltered as he was, Matteo simply couldn’t fathom the idea of having to do everything alone. 

He meets Boone’s gaze with a mischievous grin as the subject changed. “Duh! Bet I can catch a bigger fish than you!” And as the cowboy’s words replayed in his mind, the raven boy found a weight lifting ever so slightly off his shoulders.