Wheeling Gull Isle Revenge of the orchestra.

Towhee didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of this possibility. But when Dinah insisted she didn’t want to tell her parents, she could understand why Dinah resisted that idea. What if they took it poorly? Towhee wanted to think Caracal and Heda would listen with open hearts and minds but there was part of Towhee that worried they might ask her to leave the island if she told her truth. So she got it.

She loped after Dinah when the girl tucked tail and headed away from the family’s homestead. She didn’t catch the question about God’s deafness, which was probably for the best. Towhee was now toying with the idea of risking her son’s and daughter-in-law’s ire by speaking more plainly with Dinah but even she knew it would be pretty cruel to simply tell her, Look, kid, I don’t think he can hear you because he doesn’t exist.

Her granddaughter paused near the edge of the lavenders and this time, Towhee caught the question on her lips. Maybe she could field this one without being too brutally blunt about it. She nodded at Dinah to acknowledge the query, then pointed toward the flowers. She walked past the young girl to seat herself among the fragrant blooms, musing for a moment about the time when Ava and Dinah had contentiously assisted her in gathering bouquets.

The thing is, Towhee started after settling, there are a ton of different belief systems out there and nobody’s is right or wrong. At least, nobody can prove anything. It’s all about believing what makes sense to you, like I said before. There are wolves who believe in one God, like you, and others who say there are many different gods, even goddesses. There are wolves who think you go to heaven or hell when you die, while others say you’re reborn. Et cetera, et cetera.

She paused to take a deep breath. Should she discuss her own beliefs—or lack thereof—and risk rattling Dinah and getting into trouble with Caracal and Heda if it got back to them? Towhee wanted to be honest with her granddaughter without alienating or upsetting her. She squared her ever-whiter shoulders, preparing for tears no matter what.

For instance, I don’t really believe in anything in particular. I’m not gonna sit here and shit on your beliefs. But I don’t hang with God, personally. And I’ve been around a long time, witnessed many, many deaths, and I still don’t know what I think happens afterward. I don’t believe but I don’t necessarily disbelieve. I don’t make any assumptions at all, because it’s all beyond me. That probably doesn’t make much sense but I just live my life how I want and don’t think too much about spiritual stuff.