Bearclaw Valley There's nothin' sweeter than my baby

his choice of words stirred a bout of uncertainty in her — nothin' to it — then was this place not as special, not as important as she'd thought it was? or maybe she was overthinking it and it was special, and it'd just been easy to bring her here.

she swallowed hard, picking at his words like they were blemishes upon her face.

she eyed where he patted the earth, a step of hesitancy before she eventually slid down to rest beside him. her mind raced, the voice in her head too loud to think —

"i feel like you know more about me than i do you," she let out, staring hard into the white of her paws. a breath, "you had a daughter," she recalled with a gentle tone, thinking back to an earlier conversation, one she had not pressed before until now. "were you married too?" she wondered aloud, curious, hopeful, that he might be willing to share.