Redhawk Caldera The Mountain

Ceridwen’s worries echoed Maia’s in such a perfect way that she didn’t have an answer right away. Instead she pulled her daughter into a hug, giving into the overwhelming urge while she thought about what the future might be.

It was impossible to imagine her life without Eljay, but he was older than she was. So far she’d dealt with this reality in denial, but now that she stared at it, she knew the answer was obvious. This was her home and the place her children knew. Even if Brecheliant crumbled to dust around her, she would still be here.

You don’t need to decide that now. We aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. This place is all of ours; yours and your siblings. Always. You will never not be welcome home for as long as I’m here, if you ever want to come back. But you shouldn’t stay because you think you have to. You should be here if you want to be here.

Maia gave her daughter a light kiss on the forehead, then watched to see how her words came across. Her dad and mom had never needed to say those words to her, but she knew they had felt the same, and it made remembering that she hadn’t been there easier when she had struggled with it.

Amalia and Bridget aren’t ours, but they are still family. Same with Killdeer. Maybe more will come, or maybe some of your brothers and sisters will decide to come home. A lot can change, even in a year.