Wild Berry Meadow lower a row boat and grab an oar

'Mac's sunny eyes brightened even more, practically glowing, as his gaze met Easy's.

"Oh, I'd love that! I'll have to bring her to meet you. Soon!" he exclaimed, the bounce in his step practically causing him to fly off into the horizon.

He nodded. "But, for now, let's work on that den, yeah? I just helped Raindrop dig hers out, so I've got some experience!" Sumac stated with a few notes of pride working their way into his melody, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of chest-puffing.

Once more, he tried to push away the growing dissonance in his mind. He cleared his throat and finally, could stand it no longer.

"She lives on the coast. That's really where her heart is. But, I want to be close to you, too," the young man finally confided, his steps now adopting a more subdued pace. His tail lowered, faltering to half-mast while his ears drooped. "I don't want to leave you." His voice was laced with mournful tones. Truly, pure joy doesn't exist, 'Mac realized bleakly, there's always a sacrifice on the other end.