Redhawk Caldera 'Cause heaven's angels carried her away

Hotah didn’t interrupt. He stood still, letting her words land fully, each one sinking heavy into his chest. When she finished, he drew in a slow, unsteady breath, the kind meant to hold a fracture together.

He stepped forward then, closing the space between them, and gathered her into him without hesitation. Not tight. Not smothering. Just enough to say you’re not alone in this moment.

-I’m sorry,- he said quietly, knowing even as he spoke that the words were painfully insufficient. He just wanted her to feel the sorrows of the vibrations of his throat. He didn’t try to dress them up or soften the truth. Nothing could make up for what she’d lost.

He eased back just enough to look at her, one paw still resting at her shoulder, grounding.

After a beat, he asked gently, carefully:

-Have you grieved?-