Whitefish River 'Cause I need you here with me

Things only seemed to go from bad to worse. Acheron was at her side the instant the tears started, which she appreciated. She could tell he wasn't super thrilled to have more change dumped on him, but at least he was trying to be understanding. That, or he just didn't want to see her cry. She was too emotionally raw to really think much on it; she just took whatever comfort he offered. 

As expected, the girls did not take anything that happened well. They only seemed to be getting more riled up, which only made Speedy's tears threaten to flow from her eyes again. Her face twisted in pain and her eyes glistened as Spica spat back at Acheron and looked to Emrik as if he was to blame instead of her. 

She winced when Spica addressed her and referred to her as being knocked up—like she was some irresponsible child who got pregnant on accident instead of by choice with her mate that she loved. She really had no answer for her daughter; she just wanted them to be a happy family, and it seemed like all she kept doing was making things worse. Her mistakes made in Moonspear seemed to be continuously spreading poison in her life no matter how hard she tried to move on—but maybe that was the problem? She didn't deserve to move on did she? 

Her thoughts seemed to be mirrored in Syrma's words, and the tears she had tried so hard to control spilled over her cheeks again. It was her fault that they were so upset; she had ruined their ignorant happiness by dumping her past on them, and not only that, they had to deal with the fact that they now had to live their lives with the knowledge that someone they didn't even know wanted them to pay for her mistakes. She knew it was a lot, and she should have known that this would just make them feel even worse about everything. But some dumb, naive part of her thought that the lives growing inside her might bring everyone closer together. She saw now how wrong she had been to think that. She only wished she could do something to soothe the hurt she knew she had caused her children. 

Emrik's words only seemed to make her tears come faster. She loved that he was trying to help despite how awful the girls were being, and it only upset her further that they would only shove his kind words back at him. She hated that he, too, was having to pay for what she had done. 

She was done trying to reason with the twins; it seemed an impossible task, and she knew they would need to process their anger in their own ways. She drew in a shaky breath and looked from one daughter to the other. You can be angry with me for as long as you want; I totally understand, but your younger siblings will need you in their lives, she began. Can you at least find it in your hearts to treat them like your family? she pleaded.